Early Tuesday, a container ship lost power and collided with a major bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse and vehicles to plunge into the river below. Rescue efforts are underway to locate survivors, with six individuals reported missing and presumed dead, according to Associated Press.
The ship’s crew issued a distress call moments before the collision, alerting authorities to limit traffic on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland Governor Wes Moore confirmed. The impact caused a section of the bridge to crumble as the vessel caught fire, emitting thick black smoke, as reported by AFP.
Describing the incident as a “terrible accident,” United States President Joe Biden has ordered immediate bridge reconstruction, AFP noted. Despite the ship’s rapid approach toward the bridge, authorities managed to prevent further vehicles from crossing, potentially saving lives.
The collision occurred during the night, well before the morning rush hour on the 1.6-mile-long bridge, which accommodated 12 million vehicles last year. The six missing individuals were part of a construction crew working on the bridge, according to Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland’s transportation secretary. A senior executive from the construction company expressed grim prospects for the missing workers due to the depth of the water and the time elapsed since the crash, AP reported.
