Major bridge in the US city of Baltimore has collapsed

BBC:


Summary

• A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore has collapsed into the Patapsco River after a container ship rammed into it
• The bridge snapped and plunged into the water at around 01:30 ET (05:30 GMT) along with vehicles and people
• A huge search operation is under way for at least seven people, authorities say, while two people have been pulled from the water
• The ship can be seen wedged into debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which is 3km (1.6 miles) long and part of a major highway
• Some construction workers were on the bridge at the time it collapsed, the city's mayor says, adding that the incident is "an unspeakable tragedy"
• Sonar has detected multiple vehicles underwater, where the temperature is around 8C (47F)
• There is no indication the crash was intentional but it is too early to determine what caused it, officials say
• The port of Baltimore near the bridge is the largest in the US for specialised cargo

Contractors were working on bridge when it collapsed
Copyright: Reuters

We've just heard from Maryland's secretary of transportation, Paul Wiedefeld, who provided an update to reporters along with the US Coast Guard.

Wiedefeld said that there were contractors who were working on the bridge at the time of the collapse, who were "doing some concrete deck repair".

He added that vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore - with the exception of trucks - has been suspended as the search and rescue mission continues.

Traffic on the I-695 highway, which the bridge is part of, has been detoured.

A spokesperson for the US Coast Guard told reporters that their primary mission right now is to look "for any survivors in the water".

They have deployed three small boats on the scene, an 87-ft patrol boat, as well as helicopters.

Wiedefeld said there are no confirmed fatalities at this time and also stressed that it is too early in the investigation to know exactly what caused the collapse.

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