State of emergency in Baltimore
Ship crashes into bridge in the USA – collapsed!
A ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in the US state of Maryland on Tuesday night - parts of the bridge and several vehicles crashed into the river below. Since then, divers have been working in the ice-cold water to search for possible survivors. Up to 20 people were thought to be trapped in the floodwaters and the governor of Maryland declared a state of emergency. Pictures show how the freighter is wedged under parts of the bridge.
Fire department spokesman James Wallace explained in a press conference five hours after the accident that two people had already been rescued from the icy waters. One person had then waived further treatment by the emergency services and was therefore apparently not seriously injured. The other victim, who was pulled out of the water, was in a critical condition.
You can see the fire department's press conference in this article:
Search for victims in the water and on the ship's deck
The operation was still in full swing around midday on Tuesday: according to Wallace, the search for further victims was not only taking place above and below the surface of the water, but also on the deck of the 300-metre-long ship. It was a major operation and therefore the level of information about the accident, such as the number of missing persons, could change constantly, the fire department spokesman pointed out. However, several vehicles had been detected in the water using sonar.
The Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Paul Wiedefeld, announced that workers were busy with repair work at the time of the collapse. Wiedefeld emphasized that there were no confirmed reports of fatalities.
Ship caught fire after collision
A police spokeswoman reported that the executive was informed of the incident at around 1.30am local time (6.30am Central European Time). Fireboat captain Andrew Doyle explained on X: "A container ship hit the Key Bridge in Baltimore. Part of the bridge has collapsed. Several fire and police boats are en route." According to media reports, the ship caught fire after colliding with a support pillar.
As the BBC reported, citing the CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), the freighter is said to have "lost propulsion".
Vehicles plunged into the river
Several vehicles and people crashed into the Patapsco River below along with parts of the bridge. Baltimore Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright told WTOP News that at least seven vehicles, including one the size of a semi-truck, fell into the water. In addition, up to 20 workers are said to have fallen into the floodwaters.
These videos show the bridge collapsing onto the ship:
Water temperature is around 9 degrees
"This is a serious emergency," said Cartwright, explaining the gravity of the situation. "Our focus is currently on rescuing and recovering these people." A diving team is being deployed to help the people in the river. It is still too early to say how many victims are in the water. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the water temperature in Baltimore Harbor is currently only around 9 degrees Celsius.
The rescue operation proved to be extremely dangerous for the emergency services: parts of the bridge were apparently still hanging, which made the operation "unsafe and unstable" according to the fire department spokesman. Fire department spokesman Wallace explained that an assessment of the damage had to be carried out before the ship could be salvaged.
Governor declared a state of emergency
Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency a few hours after the accident - a multi-agency team was working together. He thanked the "brave men and women who are working to save those involved and praying for the safety of all". Even the FBI was on site late Tuesday morning to support the investigation.
Crew of the freighter remained unharmed
The Synergy Marine Group shipping company confirmed that its Singapore-flagged container ship Dali had hit the bridge. According to a port worker, it was carrying around 3,000 containers. The freighter was around 300 meters long and had Sri Lanka as its destination. All 22 crew members were reportedly in good health - only one worker had suffered a scratch to the head.
The road bridge is part of Interstate 695 and has four lanes - the extent of the damage to the bridge was not yet officially announced on Tuesday morning. It was opened in 1977 and is 2.8 kilometers long. Around twelve million vehicles drive over the structure every year.
The Maryland Transport Authority explained that all lanes were closed in both directions due to an "incident" on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the US city of Baltimore. Traffic was said to be diverted. Shipping traffic was backed up on the river - the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is the largest port in the USA for special cargo, according to the BBC. Around 800,000 vehicles passed through the port in 2023.
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