The Singapore-flagged container ship Dali crashed into the 2.5-kilometre-long Francis Scott Key Bridge at around 1 AM local time, causing a large section to collapse into the water afterwards.

Rescue workers are searching for about 20 people and multiple vehicles believed to have fallen into the Patapsco River.

“It [the bridge] is a major artery in the area not only for traffic but for the port, hopefully everyone is okay that is involved.”

The water at the scene of the collapsed bridge is about 9°C making rescue operations all the more urgent for anyone who may potentially be in the water. According to Kevin Cartwright, the director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, they believe there are still seven people unaccounted for with at least 10 boats currently involved in the rescue operation.

The same ship was previously involved in a minor incident when it hit a quay at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2016, according to Vessel Finder and maritime accident site Shipwrecklog. The vessel was reportedly damaged in the incident, but there were no injuries or pollution issues reported.

“The most likely cause of this is a failure in machinery or steering gear, but we just won’t know until the authorities have been on board.”

This story is still playing out, but footage of the collapse has been circulating online – check it out:

 

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[source:cnn&sky]