In the early hours of Tuesday, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore experienced a partial collapse following a collision with a large cargo ship, according to officials. This incident triggered a search operation for at least seven individuals believed to be in the water.
The collision was reported to authorities around 1:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday. The full extent of the damage to the bridge remains uncertain, though videos circulating on social media depict the dramatic moment when the large vessel collided with the bridge, leading to its partial collapse.
The Baltimore City Fire Department has classified the event as a mass-casualty incident and is currently conducting a search operation for seven people reported to be in the river.
Kevin Cartwright, the director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, shared with Reuters, “We received several 911 calls around 1:30 a.m., reporting that a vessel had struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore, resulting in its collapse. We are treating this as a mass casualty incident and are actively searching for seven individuals in the river.”
Baltimore Mayor Brendon Scott has acknowledged the incident and is on his way to the bridge. He confirmed that emergency personnel are already on the scene and that rescue efforts are in progress.
Ship tracking data from LSEG identified the Singapore-flagged container ship, the Dali, at the scene of the accident near the Key Bridge. According to Reuters, which cited LSEG data, the ship is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd. and managed by Synergy Marine Group.
USA TODAY reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard early Tuesday for a statement regarding the incident.
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced early Tuesday that all lanes of the I-695 Key Bridge were closed in both directions due to the incident. Traffic is currently being rerouted.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which spans 1.6 miles and features four lanes, crosses over the Patapsco River. It was inaugurated in 1977, according to the MDTA.