A container laden ship had reportedly struck Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday after losing propulsion, causing a “catastrophic collapse,” sending vehicles and people into the water, officials in Maryland said.
“At this time, it is an active search and rescue mission,” said Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld. “We know there were individuals on the bridge at the time of the collapse, working on the bridge.”
At a press conference early Tuesday morning officials confirmed two people were rescued, with one of those people said to be in very serious condition. The other person did not need medical treatment.
The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue for those who remain unaccounted for as a result of the bridge collapse.
What to know about the collapse
“I can confirm at 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City police were notified of a partial bridge collapse, with workers possibly in the water, at the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” the Baltimore Police Department said in a statement. Officials have since said the bridge has “fully collapsed.”
The Maryland Transportation Authority said the collapse occurred “due to ship strike.”
The vessel appears to have hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in several places and plunge into the water, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Multiple vehicles plunged from the bridge at the time of the collapse, the Baltimore City Fire Department said. Divers were searching for at least seven people in the water, the department said.
Response boat crews from Coast Guard Stations Curtis Bay and Annapolis have crews deployed to the incident for active search and rescue, according to USCG. A Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and Coast Guard investigators and pollution responders are also en route to the incident.
