Early Tuesday, a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing a significant section of the bridge to snap and collapse into the river below. Several vehicles plunged into the water as a result. Rescuers were deployed to search for at least seven individuals who were reported to be in the water.

Video footage posted on social media showed the ship striking one of the bridge supports, leading to multiple fractures in the roadway before it collapsed. The collision resulted in a fire on the ship, emitting thick, black smoke into the air.

Kevin Cartwright, the Director of Communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, described the situation as a dire emergency, emphasizing the immediate focus on rescuing and recovering individuals affected by the incident.

According to Cartwright, emergency responders were actively searching for at least seven people believed to have fallen into the water. However, he cautioned that it was too early to determine the exact number of individuals impacted. Cartwright characterized the collapse as a “developing mass casualty event.”

Reports indicate that some cargo was seen dangling from the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which stretches over the Patapsco River, a crucial waterway serving the Port of Baltimore and the broader East Coast shipping network. Named after the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the bridge has been in operation since 1977.

Emergency calls were received around 1:30 a.m., alerting authorities that a ship departing from Baltimore had collided with a column on the bridge, as per Cartwright. At the time of the incident, several vehicles, including one resembling a tractor-trailer truck, were on the bridge.

During the early hours of Tuesday, the river’s temperature hovered around 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius), according to data from a buoy maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

From a nearby vantage point near the bridge’s entrance, observers could see jagged remnants of its steel frame jutting out of the water. The on-ramp abruptly ended where the bridge span used to connect.

According to Cartwright, the ship involved in the incident is named “Dali.” Data from Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder indicates that a vessel with this name was en route from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was reported to be flying the flag of Singapore, as per information provided by Petty Officer Matthew West from the Coast Guard in Baltimore, cited by WTOP radio station.

Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. confirmed that emergency personnel were on the scene and rescue operations were in progress.

“All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” stated a post from the Maryland Transportation Authority on X.

In 2001, Baltimore faced another major transportation incident when a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a downtown tunnel, triggering a fire that released black smoke into nearby neighborhoods. This incident led officials to temporarily close all major roads leading into the city.