Horror moment Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after being hit by ship sparking urgent hunt for survivors
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.
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.
Wallace said multiple people were on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
Sonar technology has detected five vehicles, including three passenger vehicles.
"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 .
Meanwhile, Michael Brown said he thought he was being fooled when someone told him the bridge had collapsed.
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.
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.
The vessel was plunged into darkness as it headed down the river.
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.
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.
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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.
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"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.