Dali Singapore container ship strikes Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland, causing structure to collapse into the Patapsco River. Construction workers were working along span as well as cars driving over bridge. Mass casualties feared as emergency rescue is underway. Cause of crash yet to be understood as authorities save 2.
How did it happen? And how many were in the river? Maryland officials are expecting mass casualties after a Baltimore bridge collapsed after being struck by a container ship early Tuesday morning.
Footage shows the moment the Francis Scott Key Bridge crumbling like a deck of cards after a 948 foot (288-meter) container vessel, the ‘Dali’ crashed into the central part of the structure.
Emergency rescue underway in race against time
The steel arches then instantly dismantled into the frigid waters of Patapsco River shortly before 1:30 a.m. Several vehicles fell into the water. Water temperatures at the time were believed to be 9 degrees celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit). Cold enough for those who fell into the water to suffer hypothermia if not rescued quickly.
It was unclear how many vehicles were on the 1.6 mile-long span which sits 180 feet above water, but the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed to that ‘at least seven people’ were in the river.
Initial reports indicate that at least a dozen cars falling into the water below in addition to a 20 or so construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time. Initial reports told of at least two individuals being saved from the frigid waters. Several more people remained in the river.
Baltimore City Fire Department’s communications chief Kevin Cartwright called the incident a ‘developing mass casualty event’.
‘The dive and rescue team has arrived on scene to locate the individuals,’ Cartwright said.
Cartwright said emergency services are now ‘trying to rescue and recover’ people believed to have fallen into the water. ‘This is a dire emergency,’ the official added.
Cargo ship hits Baltimore’s Key Bridge, bringing it down. At least 7 people believed to be in water pic.twitter.com/5boA1ZGULy
— SHO’NUFF (@IAMSHO_NUFF) March 26, 2024
Unsafe and unstable conditions in the water
Cartwright said it appeared that there were ‘some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge,’ creating unsafe and unstable conditions, and that emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
The US Coast Guard and the Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed the crash but provided no further details.
‘All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,’ the Maryland Transportation Authority wrote on X.
Rescue efforts were underway with officials saying the surrounding body of water was filled with diesel.
The Singapore-flagged container ship, called Dali, had left Baltimore just after 1 a.m. and was heading to Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to the maritime data platform, MarineTraffic.
The vessel was due to land in Asia on April 27. The 50 meter wide ship was marooned under the bridge.
What caused collision?
Multiple Coast Guard boats marked as search and rescue vessels were circling the vessel at around 3 a.m. All crew on the vessel were accounted for according to preliminary reports. Miraculously there were no injuries.
While authorities had yet to say what may have caused the Singaporean vessel to collide with the supporting pillar, initial thoughts centered on vessel’s steering/engine failing, allowing the current to pull the ship towards the support, with no means of stopping.
Officials were quick to rule out the collision as intentional or an act of terrorism, with officials now of the belief that the ship’s pilots were unable to avoid the bridge after losing control of the 948ft vessel amid currents.
A spokesperson from the Baltimore Police Department told NBC News that people were possibly in the river, however it is unclear how many.
‘I can confirm at 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City police were notified of a partial bridge collapse, with workers possibly in the water, at the Francis Scott Key Bridge,’ Detective Niki Fennoy said in a statement.
30,000 vehicles a day cross bridge
All lanes were closed in both directions following the incident, the Maryland Transportation Authority said.
The 1.6 mile (2.57km) long bridge, which is part of I-695, and 180ft (55 meters) above water, was built in 1977 with the main span of the truss bridge at 1,200ft, being the third longest span of any continuous truss in the world.
Upwards of over 30,000 vehicles cross bridge’s spans daily.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge carries around 12 million vehicles every year. It carries the Baltimore Beltway/Interstate 695 over the river.
The bridge is named after the writer of the US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner.
