11:45 a.m. Update:
Top Maryland officials provided an update on the investigation and rescue efforts after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore on Tuesday
Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and state law enforcement and transportation officials spoke to reporters about the status of search and rescue efforts and the investigation after a cargo ship struck the bridge, causing it to plummet into Baltimore Harbor.
“Our response teams are doing everything in our power to rescue and recover the victims of this collapse,” Moore said.
“The preliminary investigation points to an accident,” he said.
Eight workers contracted with the Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary to fix potholes on the bridge were working at the time of its collapse, according to DOT Secretary Paul Wiedefeld. Two of them were pulled from the water, one in critical condition who has been hospitalized. The other is not in the hospital.
Six workers remain unaccounted for and are being searched for, Wiedefeld said.
Fast Facts
- The Baltimore Fire Department said agencies received 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. that a vessel struck the bridge
- Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. confirmed rescue efforts were underway
- The iconic bridge is named after Francis Scott Key, who authored the American National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner”
- The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977
The crew of the cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore lost power and issued a mayday in the moments before the disaster, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said.
The container ship Dali sent the mayday in time for authorities to stop traffic from entering the bridge, limiting the number of vehicles involved in what officials have called a “mass casualty event.”
“We’re thankful that between the mayday and the collapse that we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not on the bridge,” Moore said.
Authorities said a crew of eight construction workers were on the bridge, in addition to any traffic at the time of the collapse.
Search and rescue operations pulled two workers from the water, one in critical condition who was hospitalized. Efforts to locate the other six are ongoing.
Authorities said that sonar had detected cars in the water, which is about 50 feet deep. The temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn on Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Moore said an investigation is ongoing to determine how many people were caught in the collapse and plunged into the river.
“But the thing we do know is that many of the vehicles were stopped before they got onto the bridge, which saved lives in a very, very heroic way.”
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday, sending rescue workers into a frenzy to find anyone who may have fallen into the frigid waters of the Patapsco River.
The Baltimore Ravens released a statement, sending out their condolences to anyone who was affected by the shocking collapse.
“Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by the horrific Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse early this morning,” the team said in a statement posted to X.
“We are grateful for the first responders and local leaders who are on scene to lead the search and rescue efforts and to support those families who have been most directly impacted.
“We know that the Baltimore community will stand together in the aftermath of this tragic event.”
A livestream of the bridge appeared to show a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break apart and fall into the Patapsco River. Officials said several people were missing and multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time it fell.
The water below the bridge is about 50 feet deep, and the water temperature was about 47 degrees during the pre-dawn collapse. Story courtesy of Fox News
The Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse was all but inevitable once a cargo ship rammed into one of the bridge’s main supports, according to one expert.
Shocking video shows the moment the bridge appears to snap and fall apart into the Patapsco River. Maryland officials have said there was no structural issues and that the bridge was fully up to code.
“Part of the problem was this was a massive tanker ship. It was not only carrying a very heavy load, but it was also not just wide, it was tall as well. So it was almost the height of the bridge,” said Dr. Ron Harichandran, dean of the Tagliatela College of Engineering at University of New Haven.
Harichandran, a civil engineer, told Fox News Digital the cargo ship destroyed one of the concrete piers that supported the bridge, sealing its fate.
“If it had not directly hit that and if it had hit between the piers, the bridge may not have completely collapsed because bridges are designed to have some redundancy. But if you hit one of its main support structures, then it’s very difficult for it to survive,” he explained.
Modern designs have a sort of “bumper system” around the pier intended to absorb a potential impact, according to Harichandran.
“But again, you know, those can withstand limited amounts of impact, but it’s something so massive in terms of cargo vessel. Nothing could be designed to withstand something as large as that.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., told reporters he spoke to the Department of Transportation and that the Biden administration will commit emergency funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster.
Van Hollen said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the department “will do everything they can to very quickly release emergency funds for this important project.”
“Our hearts go out to all those who are on the bridge and their loved ones. We pray for them. Our gratitude goes out to the first responders who, as we speak, are continuing to conduct search and rescue operations,” Van Hollen said.
The National Highway Transportation Administration administrator will travel to Baltimore to oversee release of those funds, according to the senator.
Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation into the bridge collapse.
Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers and its naval assets will assist with below the surface clearing of Baltimore Harbor, Van Hollen said.
Updated story: The Francis Scott Key Bridge along I-695 in Maryland collapsed into the Baltimore harbor following a “ship strike” early Tuesday morning, setting off a search and rescue mission for those inside vehicles that plunged into the chilly waters.
A livestream of the bridge appeared to show a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break apart and fall into the Patapsco River. Officials said “upwards of 7” people were missing and that two had been pulled from the water. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time, but no update on casualties has been offered.
Paul Wiedefeld, secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, told reporters early Tuesday that the FBI was on scene investigating what caused the ship to ram into the bridge and determined it was not linked to terrorism.
When asked whether the ship lost power before striking the bridge, Wiedefeld said that it was too early in the investigation to tell.
Wiedefeld confirmed there were people working on the bridge at the time, though no specific numbers were immediately provided.
Officials are continuing to respond to the catastrophic collapse as an active search and rescue mission, with the U.S. Coast Guard searching for any survivors in the water.
Former Navy SEAL rescue diver on Baltimore bridge collapse: ‘It’s a recovery operation’ Emergency crews including the U.S. Coast Guard, local first responders and the FBI were searching for people believed to be in the water, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press around 3 a.m. Officials have described this as a mass casualty event.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said.
Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said at least two people were pulled from the water following the collapse, with one of them in serious condition.
Wallace said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but he said that number could change.
The vessel that struck the bridge was a Singapore-flagged cargo ship. The large vessel then caught fire before becoming disabled. Story courtesy of Fox News
Original Story: The Francis Scott Key Bridge along I-695 in Maryland collapsed into the Baltimore harbor early Tuesday morning following a “ship strike,” Maryland transportation officials said.
A livestream of the bridge appeared to show a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break and fall into the Patapsco River. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time.
Emergency crews were searching for at least 20 people believed to be in the water, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press around 3 a.m. Officials have described this as a mass casualty event. There were no specific number of deceased.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said, calling the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
It is believed that a Singapore-flagged cargo ship struck the heavily-traveled bridge. The large vessel then caught fire before it sank.
The Maryland Transportation Authority is urging drivers to avoid the I-695 southeast corridor and to instead use I-95 or I-895.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. confirmed emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.
Cartwright said agencies received 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. that a vessel traveling from Baltimore had struck the bridge, causing it to collapse.
“This is a dire emergency,” Cartwright added.
He said there are “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge” acting as hazards that are creating potentially unsafe and unstable conditions. Emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
“[At] 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City police were notified of a partial bridge collapse, with workers possibly in the water, at the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” a spokesperson for Baltimore Police said in a statement to Fox News.
The FBI says it has agents at the scene working alongside first responders.
Multiple emergency crews are on the scene assessing the damage and investigating the cause, Fox Baltimore reported.
As of 2:45 a.m., all live camera feeds for the bridge, along I-695, on the Maryland Transportation Authority website are offline.
The iconic bridge is named after Francis Scott Key, who authored the American National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It opened in 1977. Story courtesy of Fox News
