Crash on Baltimore Bridge sends vehicles plunging into water

BALTIMORE:

A container ship crashed into a four-lane bridge in the US port of Baltimore in the dark on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and plunging cars and people into the river below.

Rescuers recovered two survivors, one in “very serious condition,” and were searching for more in the Patapsco River after huge swaths of the 1.6-mile (2.57 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the water.

The ship “lost propulsion” as it left port and the crew informed Maryland officials that they had lost control of the vessel, ABC News reported, citing an unclassified US intelligence report.

Baltimore officials said at least seven vehicles were submerged in the water, but could not give an exact number.

A view of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed, in Baltimore, Maryland, US, in this image released on March 26. PHOTO: REUTERS

Kevin Cartwright, a spokesman for the Baltimore Fire Department, said earlier Reuters that up to 20 people could be in the river along with “several vehicles, and possibly a tractor-trailer or a vehicle as large as a tractor-trailer, (that) went into the river.”

“This is a mass casualty, multi-agency event,” he said. “This operation is going to drag on for many days.”

A live video posted on YouTube showed the ship crashing into the bridge in the dark. The headlights of the vehicles could be seen on the bridge as it plunged into the water and the ship caught fire.

A general view shows the Francis Scott Key Bridge, as seen from the Baltimore side, after the bridge collapsed, in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 26. PHOTO: REUTERS

Tuesday’s disaster may be the worst bridge collapse in the US since 2007, when the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency to quickly deploy federal resources to respond to the emergency. The FBI in Baltimore told X that its personnel were “on the scene.” At a press conference, Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said there was no indication of terrorism.

Traffic at the Port of Baltimore was closed until further notice, Maryland transportation authorities said. It is the busiest US port for auto shipments, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2022, according to port data.

It was not immediately clear if other ships had been damaged or if operations to and from the port had been halted, shipping and insurance sources said.

The 1.6-mile (2.57 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed into the water overnight after a cargo ship collided with it on March 26. PHOTO: REUTERS

“We received multiple 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. that a boat had hit the Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse,” Cartwright said.

Baltimore police said they were notified of the incident at 1:35 a.m. ET (535 GMT).

The vessel was identified from LSEG vessel tracking data as the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali. The registered owner of the vessel is Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and the operator is Synergy Marine Group, according to LSEG data.

Synergy Marine Corp said the Dali collided with one of the bridge pylons and that all its crew members, including the two pilots, were accounted for and there were no reports of injuries.

Also Read: At least 17 dead in railway bridge collapse in India: official

The Dali was chartered by shipping company Maersk ( MAERSKb.CO ), opens new tab at the time of the incident, the Danish company said in a statement.

“We are appalled by what happened in Baltimore and our thoughts are with all those affected,” Maersk said.

The Port of Baltimore’s private and public terminals handled 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023, the most of any US port. The port also handles agricultural and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.

A U.S. Coast Guard vessel secures the perimeter after the freighter Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, March 26. PHOTO: REUTERS

The port handles imports and exports for major car manufacturers including Nissan, Toyota, General Motors, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover and the Volkswagen Group – including luxury models for Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley.

More than 40 vessels remained in the Port of Baltimore, including small cargo ships, tugboats and pleasure boats, according to data from ship tracking and shipping analytics provider MarineTraffic. At least 30 other ships had marked Baltimore as their destination, the data showed.

The port did not immediately respond ReutersRequest for comment.

The bridge, named after Francis Scott Key, author of the Star Spangled Banner, opened in 1977.