Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after being struck by cargo ship; search and rescue underway
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after a support column was hit by a large container ship that had lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River, authorities said.
Six people remain unaccounted for, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said in a mid-morning news conference. All six were part of a construction crew that was filling potholes on the bridge at the time, Wiedefeld said. Two other workers were rescued from the water.
Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace told reporters the scene was "an active search and rescue." The Coast Guard was taking part.
One of the rescued workers was unhurt but the other is being treated at the University of Maryland Medical Center and has been unable to speak to investigators so far, officials said. The worker being treated is in serious condition.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency, saying in a statement that "we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration. We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone's safety."
The department's communications director, Kevin Cartwright, described the collapse as "a mass casualty event." He told The Associated Press it was a "dire emergency" and some cargo was apparently dangling from the bridge.
The ship — the Singapore-flagged Dali — was operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group and was chartered by Maersk, carrying Maersk customers' cargo, the companies said.
Wiedefeld said that the FBI was on the scene "to see if there was any terrorism connection, which there is not."
William DelBagno, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore field office, said at a subsequent news conference that "there is no specific or credible information to suggest that there are ties to terrorism in this incident." DelBagno said the FBI was providing resources, including underwater search and evidence response teams.
The National Transportation Security Board said Tuesday morning that it was dispatching a team to investigate the incident.
Ship had "power issue" before collision
Officials have confirmed that the ship lost power right before the collision. Moore said that the crew notified authorities of a "power issue." A law enforcement officer told CBS News that the ship lost propulsion before hitting the bridge.
"If it lost steering and power, then basically it's a dead ship just being carried by the current or its own momentum," said James Mercante, the president of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners.
He said that video shows a "big, big puff of black, real dark black smoke" which might indicate that the vessel's power was "restored at the last minute" and that the pilot was "attempting to make an emergency maneuver" to prevent the collision. However, it would be difficult to stop the 900-foot-long vessel.
"It would take quite a while — probably the length of five [or] six football fields — to bring that ship to a stop, even after dropping the anchors, because of its power and momentum. This is a behemoth," Mercante said.
Officials said in a news conference that a mayday had been issued before the collision, which allowed officials to stop traffic onto the bridge. Officials did not clarify how many vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Infrared video showed that vehicles did enter the water, but it's not clear if those vehicles had occupants. Multiple vehicles remained in the river as of mid-morning.
Moore said that the decision to stop traffic onto the bridge "saved lives last night." Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CBS News that the mayday call "saved many lives" and allowed emergency personnel to get to the scene quickly.
"An unthinkable tragedy"
The Baltimore mayor headed to the scene and told reporters at a morning briefing that the collapse was "an unthinkable tragedy."
"We have to first and foremost pray for all of those who are impacted, those families, pray for our first responders and thank them," Scott said.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said on social media: "Rescue efforts are underway. Please pray for those impacted."
A witness told CBS News Baltimore the sound of the collapse was massive, shaking his home.
"Earthquake — sounded like a big bash of thunder," the resident said. "And then just like I said it felt like an earthquake, the whole house vibrated. Like my house was falling down."
The man said he never thought in his "wildest dreams" he would see something like this happen.
Shipping in and out of the Port of Baltimore has been halted. Moore said that it was too early to estimate how long it would take to rebuild the bridge or for shipping to resume.
"Our exclusive focus is on saving lives. Our exclusive focus is on search and rescue," he said.
Location of the Key Bridge in Baltimore
The Francis Scott Key Bridge spans the Patapsco River, a key waterway that serves with the Port of Baltimore as a hub for East Coast shipping. CBS News Baltimore reports that the 1.6-mile span was used by some 31,000 people a day and was four lanes wide.
All traffic to the port has been halted. According to census data, the Port of Baltimore handled more than $80 billion in imports and exports in 2023, marking a 20-year record.
The bridge was named after the writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner." It was opened in 1977.
The Maryland Transportation Authority said all lanes were closed in both directions on I-695. Traffic was being detoured to I-95 and I-895.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on social media that he's "spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT's support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."
