Baltimore bridge collapse: Rescue efforts under way after ship collision

globalnews.ca:

A container ship rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to snap in a few places and plunge into the river below. Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters, and rescuers were initially searching for at least seven people.

Two people were pulled from the waters under the Francis Scott Key Bridge, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace.

The cargo ship appears to have crashed into one of the bridge’s supports during the middle of night when traffic would be expected to be lighter, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.

“Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”

The fire chief said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but said that number could change. It was not clear if the two rescued were included in the seven.

Sonar has indicated that there are vehicles in the water, where the temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck.

He called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event,” though he didn’t know at the time how many people were affected.

Cartwright added that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge,