In the early hours of Tuesday, around 1:30 AM local time, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a notable landmark in Baltimore, USA, met a catastrophic fate as it collapsed into the Patapsco River. This incident occurred shortly after a collision with a container ship. Despite the dramatic nature of this event, Maryland Governor Wes Moor has emphasized that initial investigations suggest the collapse was an accident, with no substantial evidence pointing towards a terrorist act.
FBI Special Agent Bill DelBagno, from the Baltimore field office, reinforced this stance, clarifying that after an initial review, there is no specific or credible information linking this unfortunate event to terrorism. The FBI has been actively involved in the response efforts from the outset, contributing a range of resources including crisis response teams, victim services, and underwater search and evidence recovery teams to the site.
As the investigation continues, authorities are committed to following through to a logical conclusion, working closely with their partners. The people of Baltimore are urged to remain patient as the investigation progresses and more information becomes available.
Currently, search and rescue operations are in full swing, with six individuals still unaccounted for. It is believed these individuals were part of a construction crew engaged in pothole repairs on the bridge at the time of its collapse.
The steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, now resting atop the container ship Dali, serves as a stark reminder of the disaster that struck Baltimore on March 26, 2024. Despite the absence of immediate evidence pointing to terrorism, the incident has left the city in shock and mourning, with ongoing efforts to understand the full scope and cause of the tragedy.