Baltimore Bridge collapse caused by ship collision
The Maryland Transportation Authority said early Tuesday that the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US, collapsed after a ship hit it.”I-695 Key Bridge collapsed due to a ship strike,” the MTA wrote on the social media site X, referring to the highway.
It told people to stay away from the path over the Patapsco River because it was an “active scene.
“The MTA had earlier said that highway lanes in both directions were stopped because of an “incident” on the bridge and that traffic was being sent somewhere else.A police spokeswoman from the Baltimore Police Department informed reporters that there might be people in the river.Detective Niki Fenoy stated in a statement, “I can confirm that at 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City police received reports that part of the Francis Scott Key Bridge had collapsed and that workers may have been in the water.
“Authorities say that several cars fell into the water, and they were trying to save at least seven people.Kevin Cartwright, head of media for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press around 3 a.m. that rescuers were searching for at least seven people who were believed to be in the water.He said that around 1:30 a.m 911 calls came in about a ship leaving Baltimore harbor that had hit a column on the bridge and caused it to fall. At that time, there were several cars on the bridge, including a tractor-trailer.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright told us. Although the number of injuries was still unknown, Cartwright described the fall as a “developing mass casualty event.
“Cartwright said it looks like “some cargo or retainers are hanging from the bridge,” which makes the situation dangerous and unsteady.
As a result, emergency workers are being extra careful.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo
