A mass casualty event was declared Tuesday after a container ship struck a bridge in Baltimore, Maryland.
Video footage captured the moment when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed following the impact with the vessel.
“The steel arches then instantly dismantled into the Patapsco River shortly before 1:30 a.m. Several vehicles fell into the water,” said authorities.
Further details regarding casualties and the extent of the damage caused by the incident are pending.
The number of vehicles on the 1.6-mile-long span when a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge was unclear, but the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed “at least seven people” were in the river.
Rescue workers are currently searching for approximately 20 individuals, a Fire Department spokesperson informed CNN.
Baltimore City Fire Department’s communications chief Kevin Cartwright described the incident as a “developing mass casualty event.”
“The dive and rescue team has arrived on scene to locate the individuals,” Cartwright stated.
Emergency services are now focused on “trying to rescue and recover” individuals believed to have fallen into the water.
“This is a dire emergency,” Cartwright emphasized.
The horrifying collapse was captured on a YouTube livestream video, showing the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge crumbling into the water.
The US Coast Guard and the Maryland Transportation Authority confirmed the crash but offered no additional information.
“All lanes closed in both directions for the incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,” stated by the Maryland Transportation Authority on X.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. stated on X, “Rescue efforts are underway. Please pray for those impacted.”
The department reported that the surrounding body of water was filled with diesel.
According to the maritime data platform, MarineTraffic, the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali departed Baltimore shortly after 1 a.m. en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Multiple Coast Guard boats designated as search and rescue vessels were observed circling the vessel around 3 a.m.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott wrote on X, “I’m aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge. … Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway.”