A catastrophic incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when a major bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed into the Patapsco River following a collision with a Singapore-flagged container ship, Dali.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, a vital artery for interstate travel around one of the United States’ largest ports, saw several sections of its structure plunged into the water below at approximately 05:30 UTC.
Emergency services rushed to the scene as cellphone footage captured the harrowing moment of the collapse.
Baltimore’s emergency response teams have initiated an extensive search and rescue operation for 20 persons reported missing, presumed to be in the water at the time of the incident. The gravity of the situation has pulled together a significant effort from local and state agencies to account for every missing person.
Synergy Marine Corp, which manages the Dali, released a statement acknowledging the vessel’s collision with the bridge.
According to their report, the ship struck one of the bridge’s support columns, leading to the catastrophic failure. The company has confirmed that all crew members aboard the Dali, including two pilots, have been safely accounted for, with no injuries reported from the ship’s contingent.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, named after the author of the United States’ national anthem, spans 2.5 kilometers and is 47 years old. It serves as a crucial segment of the interstate highway encircling Baltimore, facilitating significant vehicular movement daily. The bridge’s historical significance is rooted in its namesake, Francis Scott Key, who penned “The Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing the British bombardment of Baltimore in 1814.
As the community reels from the shock of this disaster, the focus remains on the urgent search for the missing and assessing the full impact of the bridge’s collapse on Baltimore’s transportation network.
Authorities were yet to provide details on the long-term implications for traffic and commerce in the area as the search for the missing persons, and investigations into the precise cause of the collision have begun.
