Baltimore's Key Bridge Collapses After Ship Collides, Rescue Operations For 7 People Underway

In a shocking incident, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed following a ship collision, leading to several vehicles plunging into the river and initiating a frantic search for survivors.

The ship crashed into a support pylon of the 1.6-mile Baltimore bridge triggering the catastrophic collapse early Tuesday, as reported by Reuters. The ship also burst into flames upon collision. As per AFP, citing the fire department, up to 20 people were believed to be in the water following the incident.

The Baltimore City Fire Department has classified the event as a mass-casualty incident and confirmed that seven people were still unaccounted for.

Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, stated, “We received several 911 calls at around 1:30 am, that a vessel struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the collapse. This is currently a mass casualty incident and we are searching for seven people who are in the river.”

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The Baltimore Police were alerted about the incident at 1:35 a.m. ET. The Associated Press revealed that multiple vehicles had fallen into the water. The ship involved in the collision, a Singapore-flagged container ship named The Dali, is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and managed by Synergy Marine Group, as per LSEG data. Synergy Marine Corp confirmed the collision but reported no injuries among the crew.

The Maryland Transportation Authority has announced the closure of all lanes in both directions on the I-695 Key Bridge. The impact of this incident on the operations of the Baltimore port, which handled 847,158 autos and light trucks in 2023, the highest of any U.S. port, remains uncertain.

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Image by Patrick Gillespie via Shutterstock