The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed after a cargo ship struck it.
James Wallace, Chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department, announced during an early morning press conference that the vessel collided with the bridge at 1:30 a.m.
At the time of the collapse, there were several people on the bridge, prompting ongoing search and rescue efforts by officials to locate missing persons.
Wallace later revealed, “Our sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water.”
Watch the moment the cargo ship collided with the bridge below:
Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland fell. Pray for everyone involved 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/E4GA7CWOfM
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) March 26, 2024
USA Today reported:
The Francis Scott Key Bridge − a major span critical to East Coast shipping − collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a large cargo ship, prompting a massive emergency response for at least seven people in the water.
James Wallace, chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department, said at a news conference that around 1:30 a.m. a vessel struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the collapse. Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of impact and were plunged into the Patapsco River.
Wallace said two people were rescued from the water. One was unharmed and the other is remains in “very serious condition,” he said. At least seven people were believed to be in the water, though, Wallace noted, it’s unclear whether that number includes the two who were rescued.
The crew that was on the ship when it collided with a bridge occurred remains on the vessel, which needs to be assessed for damage before rescuers can board it, Wallace said.
Multiple local, state and federal agencies are coordinating the massive search, which spans a vast section of the river – both above and below the surface of the water – and the ship itself, Wallace said. Divers, helicopters and sonar technology were being used and had located several vehicles submerged in the river.
According to CNN, there were construction contractors on the bridge before it collapsed.
Maryland State Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld told reporters there were workers on the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time of its collapse.
“We know there were individuals on the bridge at the time of the collapse, working on the bridge, contractors for us,” he said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
Wiedefeld said the workers were “basically doing some concrete deck repair,” but said they did not know how many vehicles were involved.
He added that the transport authority has set up a facility for family members of those who were believed to be on the bridge at the time of its collapse.
