Shock in the United States as the bridge over Patapsco River in Baltimore
Shock in the United States as the bridge over Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland, was brought down in an accident.
In the early morning hours, a segment of the bridge over Patapsco River, called the Francis Scott Key in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed following the impact of a large boat early Tuesday morning and several cars fell into the water.
Authorities tried to rescue at least seven people.
The oversized boat crashed into the bridge over Patapsco River at around 01:30 a.m. and caught fire before sinking, as well as causing several vehicles to fall into the Patapsco River, a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, showed.
“All lanes in both directions are closed due to an incident on the Key Bridge on I-695. Traffic is being detoured,” the Maryland Transportation Authority explained on X.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. posted on social media that emergency crews were in the area and a rescue operation was underway after part of the bridge over the Patapsco River was demolished
Emergency crews were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, Kevin Cartwright, communications director for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press.
Rescue efforts on bridge over Patapsco River in Baltimore
Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace said authorities rescued two people from the water, one unharmed and the other who was transported to the hospital in serious condition.
Wallace added that the crew remains on board the vessel and is communicating with the U.S. Coast Guard. He added that emergency services are investigating reports that workers were on the bridge at the time of the incident.
Emergency agencies received calls around 01:30 reporting that a vessel leaving Baltimore had struck one of the piers of the infrastructure, causing it to collapse.
Several vehicles were on the bridge over Patapsco River at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck.
According to Cartwright, there appeared to be “some loads or restraints hanging from the bridge over Patapsco River” creating insecurity and instability, so emergency crews were operating with caution.
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Maersk Ship
The ship was chartered by Maersk and was carrying cargo from its customers, the Danish shipping company told CNN.
“We are horrified by what happened in Baltimore and our thoughts are with all those affected,” the company said in its statement.
The company, whose full name is A.P. Moller-Maersk, said there was no crew or personnel aboard the ship.
It said the ship, “Dali,” is operated by charter carrier Synergy Group.
“We are closely following the investigations conducted by the authorities and Synergy, and will do our best to keep our customers informed,” the statement said.
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The company operating the Singapore-flagged vessel reported that there were no injuries to crew members.
“All crew members, including the two pilots, were located and no injuries were reported,” Synergy Marine Group said in a statement on its website.
The cause of the collision is unknown at this time, the company added.
The vessel reportedly struck one of the piers of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to split at several points and fall into the water, according to a video posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The vessel caught fire generating a thick black smoke.
