Baltimore bridge collapse prompts urgent search (video)

A cargo ship collision caused the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore, leading to multiple cars plunging into the water and triggering a search for eight missing individuals.

President of the United States Joe Biden has pledged to fast-track the reconstruction of the damaged bridge and port facilities. This commitment was made following the incident, which occurred early on Tuesday in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River after being struck by the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Dali around 1.30am on Tuesday. The impact damaged a critical load-bearing pillar of the bridge.

At the time of the accident, several vehicles were on the bridge, and divers are now endeavouring to locate the eight missing individuals, who are believed to be an all-highway maintenance crew that fell into the river amid temperatures around 9 degrees Celsius. Rescue teams are racing against time to find six workers still unaccounted for.

From the White House yesterday, March 26, President Joe Biden stated his intention to request Congress allocate funds to rebuild the bridge and announced plans to visit the disaster site as soon as possible. Additionally, the President clarified that there is no reason to suspect terrorism in this incident.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency to facilitate federal support in dealing with the aftermath of the bridge collapse.

Literally anyone’s worse nightmare.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, MD, completely collapsed after being struck by a ship.

Prayers to everyone impacted.#BaltimoreBridge #BaltimoreBridgeCollapse #bridgecollapse #bridge pic.twitter.com/CMyE8kZ7fK

— Fighter_4_Humanity (@Fighter_4_Human) March 26, 2024

Brandon Scott, Mayor of Baltimore, described the occurrence as an unexpected tragedy, while Baltimore Police Chief Richard Worley noted that there were no indications of a deliberate act in the bridge collision.

Synergy Marine Corp, the company managing the Dali, assured that the captain and crew are safe and there have been no injuries reported, reported Sanook.

The 47 year old Francis Scott Key Bridge, spanning 2.5 kilometres, connects Highway 695 to downtown Baltimore, home to one of the largest ports in the United States. Named after the author of The Star Spangled Banner, which later became the national anthem, the bridge’s integrity is now a matter of urgent concern, given its age and importance to the area’s infrastructure.