On Tuesday, the Francis Scott Key Bridge partially collapsed after colliding with a ship, causing a serious problem in Baltimore, United States. At least seven persons are reported to have fallen into the river.
A view of the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, United States, on Tuesday. (Photo: Reuters.)
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, United States, partially collapsed on Tuesday after being damaged by a big vessel, causing at least seven people and several vehicles to tumble into the Patapsco River. The incident occurred before morning.
According to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace, two people have been rescued from the river thus far. He stated that one was in bad condition and the other was not terribly harmed.
Baltimore is a major US port city in the state of Maryland.
The Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed the event and announced the suspension of all lanes on the Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured, according to an official post on ‘X’ (previously Twitter). “Major Baltimore traffic alert: Avoid the I-695 southeast corridor. The I-695 Key Bridge collapsed due to a ship hit. This is an active scenario. Use I-95 or I-895,” a separate traffic advice message stated.
Baltimore bridge collapse video surfaces online
A video of the incident captured on camera has also gone viral on social media. The roughly 30-second video shows the moment a huge vessel collided with the bridge, forcing it to collapse into the river. According to the video, the impact also caused a big fire to break out on the ship.
The ship, which appears to be a cargo vessel, collides with one of the bridge’s supporting pillars, triggering the accident.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. confirmed that emergency workers were responding and rescue efforts were underway.
Developing mass casualty incident.
As of today, at least five people are thought to have been struck underwater. Officials stated that rescue efforts were ongoing.
After the tragedy, it was unknown how many people had fallen into the river.
Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, described the fall as a “developing mass casualty event.”
He stated that this is a severe emergency.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977.