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'UNTHINKABLE TRAGEDY'
Horror moment Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after being hit by ship sparking urgent hunt for survivors
The collision sparked an explosion, and a search and rescue mission has been launched
AT least six people are feared to have fallen into bone-chilling waters after a cargo ship crashed into a Baltimore bridge, causing it to collapse.
Cars plunged into the Patapsco River, and a frantic search and rescue operation is underway following the horror that unfolded on Tuesday morning.
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which carries Interstate 695, collapsed at around 1:30 am after a cargo ship, destined for Sri Lanka, collided with one of its support piers.
Dramatic footage showed the bridge collapsing seconds after being hit by the ship.
As the sun rose, the full extent of the horror was on show.
The mangled wreckage of the bridge was strewn across the ship's deck which was packed full of cargo.
Officials have compared the horror to a scene out of a movie.
A Level 1 mass casualty event has been declared - with dive teams frantically searching for people in the water.
Two people have been removed from the water, Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace told reporters.
One person refused treatment, while the other is in a serious condition and has been taken to a hospital.
Most read in The US Sun
Wallace said multiple people were on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
Sonar technology has detected five vehicles, including three passenger vehicles.
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed after a cargo ship bound for Asia smashed into one of its support pillars. Here is what we know so far:
- Search and rescue operations launched
- Six people are missing after falling into the water
- One rushed to the hospital in serious condition
- Sonar technology found cars in the water
- Baltimore mayor compares the scene to an action movie
- Cops do not suspect any terror links
- Cargo ship appears to have suffered power outages before the collision
- White House on hand to offer federal assistance
Brandon Scott, the mayor of Baltimore, described the tragedy as unthinkable.
"Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that," he said.
"It looked like something out of an action movie."
A state of emergency has been declared, but authorities do not suspect any terrorism links.
"There is absolutely no indication that there's any terrorism, that this was done on purpose," said Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley.
Fire chiefs had described the situation as dire.
Kevin Cartwright, of the Baltimore City Fire Department, told the temperature near the port felt like 30 degrees but feared the water was much colder.
"And that can pose a concern and risk for our divers," he said.
The water's temperature was around 48 degrees, per the .
A person who is part of the rescue operation warned the odds are not looking good for the victims, per .
"It’s a 50-foot shipping channel, so the water is deep, and there’s a tide," they said.
Witnesses said they heard a bang after the ship hit the bridge.
"The bridge is gone, holy hell," Bobby Gattus said in a video shared by the .
Meanwhile, Michael Brown said he thought he was being fooled when someone told him the bridge had collapsed.
"I came down just to see and I can't believe it. It's a major artery here in the area, not only for traffic but for the port," he told NBC.
Locals said the impact of the crash caused their homes to shake.
"It was catastrophic," Priscilla Thompson, a retired structural worker, told the BBC.
A Maryland Transportation Authority worker has said there's not much left to see of the bridge.
Lights were seen on the 8,636-foot-long bridge - moments before the steel structure ended up in the water.
Julian Carter, a structural engineer, described the collapse as catastrophic, per .
The bridge's arches and its four traffic lanes crumpled following the horror smash.
The bridge is gone, holy hell.
Bobby Gattus
Part of the bridge ended up strewn across the deck of the ship.
A tractor-trailer was one of the vehicles believed to be on the bridge when it came down, per .
The heavily laden ship, named the Dali, was Singapore-flagged and heading to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Singaporean officials confirmed they will cooperate with the US Coast Guard.
"As the flag state, MPA [Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority] will provide full cooperation to the U.S. Coast Guard in its investigations," a representative said.
"MPA will also be investigating the incident."
Reports claimed there was a fuel leak, but officials have not confirmed this.
There were 22 crew members on board, but no one was injured.
Authorities say the crew remains on board the vessel and are in constant talks.
The Dali was chartered by the Danish company Maersk.
A representative said they were horrified at what unfolded.
No Maersk workers were on board the vessel, the company said.
The ship left the terminal at Point Breeze just before 1 am.
Radar maps showed the vessel, which is 300 meters long, at a complete standstill near the bridge around 30 minutes later.
Fire chiefs confirmed they have a large area to search, including the surface, subsurface, and the vessel's deck.
SHIP GOES OFF COURSE
Footage shared on revealed the ship lost power several times before hitting the bridge.
The vessel was plunged into darkness as it headed down the river.
Thick plumes of smoke were coming from the vessel as it slowly turned and headed toward the steel beam.
There was a second power loss after crews briefly restored electricity.
There was another recovery, but the vessel hit the pylon.
Moments later, the bridge collapsed in a domino-like fashion.
Engineers believe the Dali, which was expected to dock in Asia on April 27, went off course.
The ship arrived in Baltimore on Monday.
Ian Firth told the BBC the bridge collapsed due to the sheer impact of the collision.
Experts don't suspect human error caused the crash.
"The first thing that springs to my mind is: was there a sudden fault with the ship's engines or the steering gear?" David McFarlane, a maritime safety expert, told
Experts revealed the pilots would know the currents of the river.
A Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency paper claimed the container ship lost propulsion before the crash, as reported by .
Authorities don't suspect the crash was intentional.
US Coast Guard and cops were scrambled to the scene and helicopters scoured the area.
Pollution responders have also been deployed and FBI agents are on the scene.
"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," Detective Niki Fennoy said.
"Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway," Brendon Scott, the city's mayor, said on .
He said he was aware of the incident and was heading to the bridge.
"Please pray for those impacted," Johnny Olszewski Jr., a Baltimore County executive, said.
The bridge, which spans the Patapsco River, was named after the national anthem's writer.
More than 11 million cars travel over the 1.6-mile bridge each year.
Around 30,000 cars used the bridge every day.
NO TERROR LINKS
The bridge cost $141 million to build - around $735 million in today's money.
The structure, which opened in 1977, is one of the longest truss bridges in the world and crosses Baltimore's harbor.
The bridge appeared in the 1979 Al Pacino movie And Justice For All.
A probe examining the condition of the bridge will begin, Cartwright said.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he's spoken with city and state leaders.
Maryland senator Ben Cardin described the collapse as horrific.
The White House has been informed, and local cops are urging people to work from home.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"Senior White House officials are in touch with the governor and mayor to offer any federal assistance they need. There is no indication of any nefarious intent," a federal government spokesperson said.
Flight restrictions have been put in place around the vicinity of the bridge collapse.
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