SHOCKING aerial photos show the aftermath of the dire situation in Baltimore as remnants of the Francis Scott Key Bridge are left floating in the harbor and on top of a cargo ship.
At least seven people are believed to be missing after a large cargo vessel slammed into one of the supports of the 1.6-mile-long bridge at around 1:30 am on Tuesday.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge partially collapsed after a cargo ship smashed into it early Tuesday morningEPA/JIM LO SCALZO
AFPThe steel frame of the Francis Scott Key Bridge sits on top of a container ship[/caption]
GettyThe large cargo vessel was identified as the Singapore-flagged Dali, chartered by the Danish shipping company Maersk[/caption]
Cars plunged 184 feet into the bone-chilling waters of Baltimore‘s Patapsco River as officials launched a desperate rescue operation for survivors.
State officials confirmed that a construction crew was working on the bridge at the time.
Governor Brandon Scott called the incident an “unthinkable tragedy.”
“This is a tragedy you can never imagine,” Scott said during a news conference.
“Never did you think you would see the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of a movie. Our focus should be the preservation of life.”
Governor Scott said a preliminary investigation suggested the collision was an accident.
The FBI has ruled out the incident was linked to a terror attack.
KEY BRIDGE TUMBLES
As the sun rose in Baltimore, dramatic photos showed the bridge’s steel frame sitting atop the container ship.
Heart-pounding video captured the moment the vessel appeared to lose power, suffering repeated blackouts before sticking into one of the bridge’s supports.
The ship has since been identified as the Singapore-flagged Dali, chartered by the Danish shipping company Maersk and en route from Baltimore to the Sri Lankan city of Colombo.
The vessel, which can carry 10,000 20-foot shipping containers, was involved in an incident in 2016 in the Port of Antwerp in Belgium.
In that incident, the Dali suffered damage to the stern and transom after colliding with a portion of the stone loading dock at the port.
The four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge was an essential piece of infrastructure in Maryland.
It was critical to Interstate 695, which carried north and southbound traffic around the city of Baltimore.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed after a cargo ship bound for Asia smashed into one of its support pillars. Here is what we know so far:
Search and rescue operations launched
At least seven people feared to have fallen into water
One rushed to the hospital in serious condition
Sonar technology found cars in the water
Baltimore mayor compares the scene to an action movie
Cops do not suspect any terror links
Cargo ship appears to have suffered power outages before the collision
White House on hand to offer federal assistance
More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @TheUSSun.
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
