Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship hits it; construction crew missing

BALTIMORE − A massive search effort was underway Tuesday for six construction workers who were on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore when it was struck by a large cargo vessel and collapsed into the Patapsco River, shutting down a critical artery for East Coast shipping. James Wallace, chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department, said at a news conference that around 1:30 a.m. a vessel leaving the Port of Baltimore struck the Key Bridge, causing it to collapse in seconds. Footage shows the cargo ship smash into one of the columns before the bridge snapped and tumbled into the water and on top of the ship, where a burst of flames and smoke could be seen rising into the night sky. Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of impact and were plunged into the Patapsco River. There were also multiple contractors on the bridge who were repairing potholes, said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld. It's unclear how many workers were on the bridge when it collapsed.

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A senior U.S. official told USA TODAY that the ship apparently lost power a few minutes before striking the bridge. Air, land and water search underway Multiple local, state and federal agencies are coordinating the massive search, which spans a vast section of the river – both above and below the surface of the water – and the ship itself, Wallace said. Divers, helicopters and sonar technology were being used and had located several vehicles submerged in the river, which is about 50-feet-deep where the bridge collapsed.

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What happened in the bridge collapse in Baltimore?

The container vessel was chartered by the major shipping company Maersk and was carrying its cargo, according to a statement from the company. When it crashed into the bridge, no Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel, which is operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group and owned by Singapore-based Grace Ocean Pte. The Dali was slated to arrive early next month in Sri Lanka, according to MarineTraffic, a global ship tracking service. All vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice, but the port is still open for truck transports, Wiedefeld said. Traffic, meanwhile, is being diverted from the area around the Key Bridge

Baltimore port closed to ships 'until further notice'

Shortly after the bridge collapse, the Port of Baltimore suspended vessel traffic “until further notice,” according to its website. “This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is shut down. We are still processing trucks inside of our terminals,” the statement said. But Bloomberg reported that the port “looks to be out of commission indefinitely.”