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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore City collapsed after being hit by a large ship Tuesday morning, seen in the left moments before the collapse.
CNN
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Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Francis Scott Key said rescue crews were searching the Patapsco River for at least seven people after the collapse of the Key Bridge overnight, sending several vehicles into the water. said Associated Press.
the bridge It collapsed early Tuesday morning After it was struck by a large ship, according to video obtained by CNN.
Local agencies received 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. reporting that a ship heading out of Baltimore had struck a column on the bridge, Baltimore Fire Department communications director Kevin Cartwright told the AP.
“It's a terrible emergency,” he said. “Our focus now is trying to save and recover these people.”
All traffic was detoured, the Maryland Transportation Authority said, and it was unclear if anyone was injured. CNN has reached out to the Baltimore City Fire Department for additional information.
Cartwright called the collapse “a growing mass casualty phenomenon.”
“There appears to be some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge,” he said, adding that conditions were unsafe and unstable for emergency responders who were acting cautiously.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Social media post He was on his way to an “incident” on the bridge at 3am. “Emergency personnel are at the scene and efforts are underway,” he added.
Video of the collision shows a tall boat heading straight for one of the bridge's support columns, skimming a large length of the bridge into the water below in seconds before crashing into it. The impact immediately caused subsequent sections of the bridge to collapse.
The crash sent huge plumes of smoke and fire into the air and caused part of the bridge to collapse on the front of the boat, video footage showed. Black smoke continued to rise in the air for several minutes.
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The picture was taken at the moment the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.
The 1.6-mile, 4-lane bridge spans the Patapsco River and serves as an outer crossing of Baltimore Harbor and an essential link to Interstate-695 or the Baltimore Beltway.
Check out this interactive content on CNN.com
Its name is Francis Scott Key Believed to have been seated Witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814 inspired him to write the words to the “Star Spangled Banner.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
