Baltimore Key Bridge Collapses After Ship Collision

A major bridge has collapsed in the US city of Baltimore after it was hit by a cargo ship.

Footage shows a large section of the 1.6 mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge falling into the Patapsco River, following the collision at around 1.30am local time (5.30am UK time).

Vehicles can be seen in the video falling from the bridge.

Earlier, Baltimore’s fire service said up to 20 people were reported to be in the water, but that number has since been revised.

In an update on Tuesday morning, James Wallace, the chief of Baltimore’s fire department, said two people have already been rescued from the water with one of those rescued is in a “very serious condition”.

Meanwhile he said authorities are still looking for “upwards of seven individuals” in the water as there is an active ongoing search and rescue operation in place over a large area.

He also said the crew of the ship are still on board the vessel but are communicating with the coast guard.

Police commissioner, Richard Worley, said there is “absolutely no indication” that the incident was intentional or terrorism-related.

According to reports, the container ship “lost propulsion” as it left the port and the crew on board had warned Maryland officials of a possible crash, ABC News said, citing an unclassified US intelligence report.

CCTV and marine tracking data shows the Dali lose power, adjust its course and start smoking around 60 seconds before it hits the bridge.

Maryland governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency as the search for people in the water continues.

The 289 meter-long container ship, known as the Dali, was headed to Colombo in Sri Lanka at the time of the collision.

Data from MarineTraffic showed the Singapore-flagged ship came to a halt at the bridge before two tug boats arrived at the scene.

At least 10 boats are currently involved in the rescue operation.

The same ship was previously involved in a minor incident when it hit a quay at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2016, according to Vessel Finder and maritime accident site Shipwrecklog.

The vessel was reportedly damaged in the incident, but there were no injuries or pollution issues reported.

On Tuesday, Synergy Marine Group, the company that owns the container ship, said all 22 crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of injuries.

The company said the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined.

Source: Sky News