 "Baltimore bridge collapse a 'developing mass casualty event'; Maryland's Gov declares state of emergency")
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, US, collapsed after it was struck by a large ship early on Tuesday.
As many as 20 workers and seven vehicles are believed to have plunged into Patapsco River following the collapse, said the Baltimore City Fire Department Communications Chief Kevin Cartwright. Earlier, a spokesperson from the department said the accident is a “mass casualty event”.
Governor Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency in Maryland. “We are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration,” Moore said.
He thanked the “brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone’s safety”.
A rescue mission by divers is underway and two workers have been rescued, the city’s fire department communications chief, Kevin Cartwright said in a press conference. Out of the two people who have been rescued, one is without injury and the other has been transferred to hospital in a serious condition, Kevin added.
All crew members on the Singapore-flagged ship, DALI, were accounted for and there were no injuries on the ship, The New York Times reported the ship’s owners as saying in an email statement.
The cause of the collision has yet to be determined.
Wow, devastating. Major bridge in US city of Baltimore collapses after cargo ship hit it. pic.twitter.com/WQUJeIskTw
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 26, 2024
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said in a social media post, that he was en route to the “incident” at the bridge. “Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway,” he added.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsI'm aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge. I have been in contact with @BaltimoreFire Chief Wallace, @GovWesMoore @JohnnyOJr, and @AACoExec. Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway.
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) March 26, 2024
Vehicles on the highway are being re-routed, and drivers are advised to avoid the route over the Patapsco River, which the Maryland Transport Authority called an “active scene”.
Why was Baltimore’s Key Bridge important?
The 2.5 km, 4-lane bridge across the Patapsco River serves as the outermost crossing of the Baltimore harbor and was an essential link of Interstate-695, or the Baltimore Beltway.
The bridge was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, per the National Steel Bridge Alliance, and constructed for $141 million, which is roughly $735 million in today’s dollars, The New York Times reported.
Baltimore Harbour is the largest port in the US for specialised cargo, and an estimated 800,000 vehicles passed through the port in 2023, moving a record 1.3 million tons of imported cargo.
The bridge, built in 1977 and referred to locally as the Key Bridge was named after the author of the American national anthem, Francis Scott Key. He is believed to have sat near the site of the bridge as he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814, inspiring him to write the nation’s anthem the ‘Star Spangled Banner’.
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