The 3km-long Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the water overnight after a Singapore-flagged container ship collided with it. - PHOTOS: SCREENGRABS FROM X via The Straits Times/ANN
BALTIMORE, Maryland (Reuters/AFP): A major bridge collapsed in the US port of Baltimore in the early hours of March 26 after being struck by a container ship, plunging cars and as many as 20 people into the river below.
Rescuers were searching for survivors in the Patapsco River after huge spans of the 2.6km Francis Scott Key Bridge crumpled into the water.
As many as 20 people could be in the river, along with “numerous vehicles, and possibly a tractor-trailer or a vehicle as large as a tractor-trailer, (that) went into the river”, Mr Kevin Cartwright, the spokesperson for the Baltimore City Fire Department, told Reuters.
“This is a mass-casualty, multi-agency event,” he said. “This operation is going to extend for many days.”
A live video posted on YouTube shows the ship ploughing into the bridge in darkness.
The headlights of vehicles can be seen on the bridge as it crashes down into the water and the ship catches fire.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency. He said in a statement the state was “working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration”. The FBI in Baltimore said on X its personnel were “on scene”.
Baltimore is the busiest US port for car shipments, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2022, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration.
It was not immediately clear if any other vessels had been damaged or whether operations had halted to and from the port, shipping and insurance sources said.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge rests partially collapsed after a container ship ran into it in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on March 26. - PHOTO: EPA-EFE via The Straits Times/ANN
“We received several 911 calls at around 1.30 am, that a vessel struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the collapse,” Mr Cartwright said.
Baltimore police said they were notified of the incident at 1.35am ET (1.35pm Singapore time) on March 26.
The Associated Press reported that several vehicles had fallen into the water.
Ship-tracking data from LSEG shows a Singapore-flagged container ship, the Dali, at the location along the Key Bridge where the accident occurred.
The Dali container vessel was chartered by shipping company Maersk at the time of the accident, the Danish company said in a statement.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk said.
The Dali was set to depart Baltimore early on March 26 and arrive at Colombo on April 22, according to a schedule on Maersk’s website.
The registered owner of the ship is Grace Ocean and the manager is Synergy Marine Group, LSEG data shows.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed a Singapore-registered vessel collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge at about 1.30pm Singapore Time on March 26.
The vessel, Dali, is a 95,000 gross ton container vessel operating with 22 crew onboard at the time of the incident, it said.
A view of the Singapore-flagged container ship ‘Dali’ after it collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, US, on March 26. - PHOTO: REUTERS
The MPA is in contact with the US Coast Guard and the ship’s management company to provide necessary assistance. It added that as the flag state, the MPA will provide full cooperation to the US Coast Guard in its investigations, and will also be investigating the incident.
Synergy Marine Corp said that the Dali collided with one of the pillars of the bridge and that all its crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.
Reuters could not immediately reach Grace Ocean for comment.
“All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” Maryland Transportation Authority said in a post on X.
It was not immediately clear if the Baltimore port operations were impacted due to the bridge collapse.
The port’s private and public terminals handled 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023, the most of any US port.
The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.
The port handles imports and exports for major automakers including Nissan, Toyota, General Motors, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover and the Volkswagen group - including luxury models for Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley.
More than 40 ships remained inside Baltimore port including small cargo ships, tug boats and pleasure craft, data from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic showed. At least 30 other ships had signalled their destination was Baltimore, the data showed.
The Baltimore port did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scoot and Baltimore County executive Johnny Olszewski Jr said they were aware of the incident and that rescue efforts were under way.
“Please pray for those impacted,” Olszewski posted on X.
The bridge, named after American lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key, author of the Star Spangled Banner, opened in 1977 and cost an estimated US$60.3 million to build. - REUTERS/AFP
