BREAKING: Francis Scott Key Bridge In Baltimore Collapses, Several Missing - 'An Unthinkable Tragedy'

A large segment of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday morning after it was struck by a cargo ship that lost power in transit out of the harbor. The resulting collapse led to multiple vehicles falling into the water and being submerged. Search and rescue operations are currently underway. 

The bridge collapse occurred around 1:30 AM EST when the Singapore-flagged container ship named the Dali hit a support beam of the bridge. Authorities quickly responded to the scene and were able to rescue two people, with one being in critical condition and the other not having any injuries. There are believed to be at least seven people still missing.

"Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. During a press conference, Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) told reporters that the ship issued a mayday and let harbor officials know it was experiencing power issues before colliding with the bridge. Authorities were able to halt traffic over the bridge before the collapse, likely preventing a more disastrous result. "These people are heroes. They saved lives last night," Moore said.

"Our response teams are doing everything in our power to rescue and recover the victims of this collapse literally as we speak," Moore explained, adding that all evidence points to an accident taking place rather than some sort of terrorist attack. 

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who has overseen several infrastructure failures during his tenure, explained that he is coordinating with local authorities. "I've spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT's support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge," Buttigieg wrote on X. "Rescue efforts remain underway, and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which spans over a mile across the Patapsco River, was built in 1977. Its collapse will have a tremendous economic impact in the coming weeks, with Baltimore Harbor, one of the busiest on the East Coast, likely inoperable for the foreseeable future. 

WATCH:
 

This looks like a cyber attack to me with the ship being steered directly into the bridge….. pic.twitter.com/h7PeJX9YRh

— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) March 26, 2024

BREAKING: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore speaks on the search and rescue effort after the Baltimore bridge collapse from a cargo ship collision. Moore saying "our response teams are doing everything in our power to rescue and recover the victims of this collapse literally as we speak." pic.twitter.com/ZLwN8lM41x

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 26, 2024

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