Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on Tuesday morning after it was struck by a big container ship.
A video of the incident was posted early on Tuesday morning to X, previously Twitter. Within the video, the container ship the Dali is seen colliding with one of many bridge’s help beams. Smoke is seen billowing from the ship earlier than the bridge started crumbling.
“MAJOR BALTIMORE TRAFFIC ALERT: AVOID I-695 southeast hall. I-695 Key Bridge collapse as a consequence of ship strike,” the Maryland Transportation Authority mentioned in an X publish on Tuesday morning.
A consultant for the Baltimore Police Division instructed ABC Information that “at 1:35 a.m., Baltimore Metropolis police have been notified of a partial bridge collapse, with staff presumably within the water, on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”
Emergency providers groups, together with divers and no less than two helicopters, responded to the scene, per Baltimore County’s police scanner within the hour and a half after the bridge’s collapse.
Wes Moore, governor of Maryland, declared a state of emergency early on Tuesday.
Moore mentioned he was working to “shortly deploy federal assets from the Biden Administration,” per the BBC.
The White Home mentioned it was “carefully monitoring” the scenario, and that there was no indication of any nefarious intent.
“Our hearts exit to the households of those that stay lacking on account of this horrific incident,” a spokesperson instructed BI in a press release.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg mentioned on X that he had provided the DOT’s help to Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott.
The Baltimore Fireplace Division estimates that as much as 20 folks folks went into the water, the BBC reported.
Baltimore Fireplace Division Chief James Wallace mentioned at a press convention early Tuesday that two folks had been recovered from the water. One refused service, whereas one other was transported to an area trauma heart “in very severe situation,” he mentioned.
The fireplace division had not made contact with the ship’s captain but, he mentioned.
A livestream view of the world at round 3:00 a.m. native time confirmed the bridge’s construction partially submerged within the harbor and in a number of items.
An unclassified Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company report mentioned that the ship “misplaced propulsion” because it was leaving port, ABC Information reported.
The crew notified officers that they’d misplaced management and warned of a attainable collision, the report mentioned, per ABC Information.
Structural engineer Ian Firth instructed the BBC that the heavy ship would have struck the bridge help backed by many 1000’s of metric tons.
“The help is a really, comparatively, flimsy construction while you take a look at it, it is a form of trestle construction with particular person legs,” he instructed the outlet. “So, the bridge has collapsed merely on account of this very giant impression power.”
Barbara Rossi, an engineering professor on the College of Oxford, instructed BI: “Based on what I might see on-line, the bridge has acquired a big impact power on one in all its supporting buildings.”
“The impacting power will need to have been immense,” she mentioned.
Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Pictures
The Dali is owned by Grace Ocean, a Singapore-based agency. The agency confirmed in a press release on Tuesday morning that their vessel had struck one of many bridge’s pillars, per TradeWinds.
“All crew members, together with the 2 pilots, have been accounted for and there aren’t any experiences of any accidents. There has additionally been no air pollution,” learn the agency’s assertion.
It had 22 crew aboard, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore mentioned in a press release.
Based on Grace Ocean, the vessel was sure for Colombo, Sri Lanka when the accident came about.
Screengrab/VesselFinder.com
Maersk, the ship’s charterer, confirmed that vessel firm Synergy Group operates the ship. Maersk’s spokesperson instructed BI in a press release that the corporate is “horrified” by the occasions, and added that no Maersk staff have been on board.
“We’re carefully following the investigations carried out by authorities and Synergy,” it added.
As of Tuesday morning, authorities warned mariners and drone operators to keep away from the waters and close by airspace.
Baltimore County Government Johnny Olszewski, Jr. mentioned in an X publish that the authorities “are carefully monitoring the continuing scenario on the Key Bridge.”
“Our prayers stay with all these impacted,” Olszewski wrote.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in March 1977 as the ultimate hyperlink within the Baltimore Beltway, based on the MDTA.
It price $60.3 million to construct and is 10.9 miles lengthy, per the MDTA.
