Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses After Being Hit By Cargo Ship

Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early this morning after being hit by a cargo ship. While the incident is still unfolding, the U.S. Coast Guard said they received reports that the bridge was struck by a 948-foot (289-meter) Singapore-flagged containership at 1:27 a.m. this morning.

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Initial reports said the bridge had collapsed and people were in the water. This resulted in a search and rescue operation, which saw Coast Guard boats dispatched from both Annapolis and Curtis Bay. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was also called in as were Coast Guard investigators and pollution responders.

Boats are being urged to avoid the area and the Port of Baltimore is closed to vessel traffic until further notice. However, officials noted the port isn’t shut down as truck traffic continues at its terminals.

While the cause of the crash remains unclear, the incident was caught on video and this will undoubtedly help investigators piece things together. As you can see, the ship appears to lose power as it approaches the bridge. The lights then come back on as the ship veers towards one of the bridge’s supports.

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Shortly thereafter, the lights go out again before coming back on. The ship then plows into the support, which appears to kick up a large cloud of pulverized concrete. The bridge then begins collapsing and comes crashing down into the water.

While it will likely be a long time before the investigation is complete, initial indications are that the ship, which is known as the Dali, was experiencing mechanical and/or power issues.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a State of Emergency and said his administration is “working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration.” He added they’ll “remain in close contact with federal, state, and local entities that are carrying out rescue efforts as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy.”

The collapse is a major loss and will prove to be a huge headache for ships, motorists, and consumers. The Maryland Transportation Authority says drivers should use I-95 or I-895 as detours, although they noted vehicles transporting hazardous materials should use the western section of I-695 to avoid tunnels.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge reportedly had a main span of 1,200 feet (366 m) and was 8,636 feet (2,632 m) long overall. It was also said to carry around 11.5 million vehicles annually.

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Lead image credit: Baltimore County Police Department