Baltimore bridge collapse: Francis Scott Key Bridge falls after ship collision ,mass casualties feared- Grow Mudra

Baltimore bridge collapse: Francis Scott Key Bridge falls after ship collision; mass casualties feared

26 Mar , 2024 By : Debdeep Gupta

The emergency rushed to the location of the bridge collapse and informed that at least 20 people had fallen into the Patapsco River in the accident

Baltimore bridge collapse: The Francis Scott Key Bridge, spanning outer Baltimore Harbor in Maryland, United States, collapsed following a collision with a cargo ship. Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, reporting that approximately 20 individuals had fallen into the Patapsco River in the incident. Videos capturing the moment of the bridge collapse are circulating on various social media platforms.

"We received several 911 calls at around 1:30 am, that a vessel struck the Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the collapse. This is currently a mass casualty incident and we are searching for seven people who are in the river," Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department told Reuters.

Singapore-flagged vessel

The ship tracking data shows that the cargo ship involved in the accident was a Singapore-flagged vessel and its owners have confirmed the collision incident. A New York Times report said that all the crew members onboard the ship were safe and the reasons behind the collision are yet to be ascertained.

The local administration sprang into action after the accident and traffic diversions were initiated to avoid chaos. "All lanes closed in both directions for the incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured," the Maryland Transportation Authority said in a post on X.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also took cognizance of the bridge collapse and assured that emergency services were working on the scene. "I'm aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge... Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway," Brandon said in a post on X.

Francis Scott Key Bridge is a vital transportation link in the Washington metropolitan area as it connects the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC with the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. The bridge was constructed in 1977 with an estimated cost of $60.3 million.