Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning after a cargo ship lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns.
Search and rescue efforts continue Tuesday afternoon as emergency officials work to locate individuals believed to have fallen into the Patapsco River. So far, two people have been rescued, including one who was briefly hospitalized and one who declined to go to a hospital. Authorities are searching for six construction workers who were repairing potholes on the bridge at the time of the crash, The Baltimore Sun reported.
“This is a tragedy that you could never imagine,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a news conference Tuesday morning.
The ship’s crew notified authorities of a “power issue.” Following that mayday call, transportation officials stopped traffic over the bridge, The Baltimore Banner reported.
“I have to say I’m thankful for the folks who once the point came up and notification came up, that there was a mayday,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said. “Who literally by being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives.”
On Tuesday morning, Scott issued a state of emergency for Baltimore City. “The Executive Order mobilizes the City of Baltimore’s Emergency Operations Plan to deploy emergency resources to protect the persons affected by the incident and expands the resources available to tackle the emergency situation,” the mayor announced in a news release.
Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace said there is no indication that the crash was intentional, the Sun reported.
The search will continue until divers determine they have reached the “non-survivability point,” National Public Radio reported.
The Port of Baltimore said “Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice.”
They added, “This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is shutdown. We are still processing trucks inside of our terminals.”
pic.twitter.com/VUDcNw0z5T — Port of Baltimore (@portofbalt) March 26, 2024
Moore declared a state of emergency.
I have declared a State of Emergency here in Maryland and we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration. — Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) March 26, 2024
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on X that he has spoken with Moore and Scott, and has offered them the support of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
I’ve spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT’s support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response. — Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) March 26, 2024
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said they, too, are coordinating with the emergency response.
We are closely monitoring the ongoing situation at the Key Bridge.
I remain in contact with our emergency response team as well as state and local partners, including @MayorBMScott and @AACoExec. Response efforts are ongoing.
Our prayers remain with all those impacted. — County Executive Johnny Olszewski (@BaltCoExec) March 26, 2024
I will stand by and pray for the drivers on the bridge, construction workers on the bridge, crew on the ship, and their families.
Please tune into local news for updates. — County Executive Steuart Pittman (@AACoExec) March 26, 2024
The National Transportation Safety Board said it “is launching a go team to investigate the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.”
Commuters are being advised to avoid southeast portion of Interstate 695 and to take alternate routes, including Interstate 95 through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel or Interstate 895 through the Fort McHenry Tunnel, WJZ reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration has instituted flight restrictions around the bridge collapse and has warned drone pilots not to interfere with rescue operations.
Drone pilots: The FAA has flight restrictions in place around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Do not interfere with rescue operations. If you fly, emergency response operations cannot. https://t.co/AXVbkrrk82 #NoDroneZone pic.twitter.com/mRFTxw1r96 — The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) March 26, 2024
The cargo ship that struck the 1.6-mile bridge is managed by Synergy Marine Group. The ship, called Dali, hit a support column on the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. The company said all 22 crew members, including two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of injuries among the crew and pilots. Grace Ocean Private Ltd. owns the vessel, The Baltimore Banner reported.
The ship was being piloted not by its own crew, but by local pilots who are used to prevent collisions like this one, CNN reported.
The ship was traveling from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The vessel is about 985 feet long and about 157 feet wide, WBAL reported.
A map by the Sun shows the path of the ship before it struck the bridge.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977. More than 11 million vehicles have crossed it each year. Originally called the Outer Harbor Crossing, it was renamed in 1976 in honor of Francis Scott Key, author The Star-Spangled Banner. Key wrote the poem, which would be set to music and become the American national anthem, while watching British naval forces bombard Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814, WMAR reported.
