A mass casualty incident is being reported after the Francis Scott Key Bridge (also known as the Key Bridge) in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a large container ship in the early morning hours of March 26.
At 1:27 a.m., the bridge, which crosses the Patapsco River, fell piece by piece, all in a row, after the container ship issued a "mayday" while traveling at 9 mph. Reports indicate that the vessel lost power before colliding with a section of the bridge's support columns, bringing basically the entire thing down onto the ship and into the river.
"As the vessel struck the bridge in the middle of the night, it caused a din that could be heard ashore and immediately toppled an essential mid-Atlantic thoroughfare into the frigid waters," the Baltimore Sun reported.
"Several cars were knocked into the Patapsco River and as of Tuesday around 11 a.m., authorities were searching for six construction workers who had been repairing potholes on the bridge. Two others were rescued – one who was briefly hospitalized and another who declined to go to a hospital. Extensive rescue efforts were ongoing."
Following the incident, states of emergency have been declared by both Mayor Brandon Scott and Gov. Wes Moore.
(Related: Speaking of Baltimore, did you know that 95 percent of public school students in the entire state of Maryland lack proficiency in basic mathematics?)
Vehicles detected in water hours before collision?
Prior to the collision, the container ship's crew notified authorities that a power outage had occurred aboard the vessel. This "mayday" warning allowed the Maryland Transportation Authority Police on the highway above to stop many cars from driving onto the bridge just moments before the catastrophe.
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"These people are heroes," commented Gov. Moore at a morning news conference. "They saved lives last night."
As of this time, there is no indication that the collision was a terrorist attack, at least according to official sources.
Gov. Moore promised the world that the bridge will be rebuilt, but that it is too early to announce how much it will cost or how long it will take.
President Biden also gave an address indicating that the federal government, meaning United States taxpayers, will pay for a new bridge.
"I expect the Congress to support my effort," Biden said. "This is going to take some time, but the people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with it every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."
Strangely, just a few hours before the collision, Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace said that local authorities had detected the presence of vehicles in the water using sonar technology. Water in that particular area is around 50 feet deep.
A Coast Guard briefing report states, concerning the vessel losing power, that "a harbor pilot and assistant were onboard and reported power issues, multiple alarms on the bridge, and loss of propulsion prior to the incident."
"This is a tragedy that you could never imagine ... It looked like something out of an action movie," added Mayor Scott at a news conference.
The cargo ship in question, called Dali, bore a Singapore flag, which depicts an eclipse not unlike the solar eclipse that will cross the United States on April 8. Its pilot will now undergo drug and alcohol testing as part of an investigation.
The Key Bridge was a substantial one, spanning 1.6 miles in length and marking a key part of Interstate 695. The bridge carried more than 12.4 million commercial and passenger vehicles in 2023, or about 34,000 vehicles per day.
More related news about disasters across America can be found at Chaos.news.
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