A container ship has rammed into a significant bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, inflicting it to snap and plunge into the river beneath.
A number of automobiles fell into the chilly waters of the Patapsco River early on Tuesday, and rescuers looked for survivors.
It was not clear what brought about the cargo ship to crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge lengthy earlier than the busy morning commute in america metropolis near Washington, DC.
Two folks have been rescued, and it was not clear what number of extra could be within the waters of the busy harbour close to a key port.
The ship crashed into one of many bridge’s helps, inflicting the construction to snap and buckle at a number of factors and tumble into the water in a matter of seconds — a surprising spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media. The vessel caught fireplace, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.
“By no means would you assume that you’d see, bodily see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It seemed like one thing out of an motion film,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott mentioned, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy”.
Baltimore Hearth Division Chief James Wallace mentioned authorities “could also be on the lookout for upwards of seven folks”, however he mentioned that quantity may change, and different officers wouldn’t give figures. It was not clear if the 2 folks rescued have been included within the seven cited by the hearth chief.
Authorities mentioned a crew of unknown dimension was engaged on the bridge on the time of the accident and sonar had detected automobiles within the water, which is about 15 metres (50ft) deep. The water temperature was about 47 levels Fahrenheit (8 levels Celsius) earlier than daybreak on Tuesday, in line with a buoy that collects knowledge for the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.