A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap in a few places and thereafter plunge into the river below.
Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers were initially searching for at least seven people.
Two people were pulled from the waters under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace.
The cargo ship appears to have crashed into one of the bridge’s supports during the middle of night when traffic would be expected to be lighter, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it. “Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”
The fire chief said that authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but, said that number could change.
It was not clear if the two rescued were included in the seven. Sonar has indicated that there are vehicles in the water, where the temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, the Director of Communications for the Baltimore Fire Department said that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one, the size of a tractor-trailer truck.
He called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event,” though he did not know at the time how many people were affected.
Cartwright added that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge, which spans the Patapsco River at the entrance to a busy harbor.
The river leads to the Port of Baltimore, a major hub for shipping on the East Coast.
Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he was working to get federal resources deployed.
Synergy Marine Group which owns and manages the ship called the “Dali” confirmed that the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while two pilots were in control.
It said all crew members, including the pilots, were accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.
