United States: Baltimore bridge collapses after being hit by ship

A cargo ship passes under the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on October 14, 2021 in Maryland.

A major bridge in Baltimore, on the east coast of the United States, collapsed early Tuesday morning after being hit by a ship, dragging down vehicles and around twenty people with its fall.

“We know there are up to 20 people in the Patapsco River right now, along with several vehicles,” Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore Fire Department told CNN television.

The Maryland State Transportation Authority (MTA) said a vessel struck the bridge.

“We were woken up by a kind of earthquake and a long, resounding crash,” said a local resident, whose windows overlook the bridge, quoted by CNN.

We see lights that appear to be those of vehicles on the bridge, before it distorts and falls in pieces.

“We believe vehicles and possibly a semi-trailer fell into the water,” Kevin Cartwight also told the Baltimore Sun, adding that “the entire bridge” had collapsed.

A Baltimore police spokeswoman also told NBC that it was possible that people had fallen into the river.

“I can confirm that at 1:35 a.m. Baltimore City Police were notified of a partial collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and that workers may be in the water,” Niki Fennoy said.

– Crucial road axis –

The 2.6 km long four-lane bridge spans the Patapsco River southwest of Baltimore, a large American industrial and port city, in the state of Maryland, about 60 kilometers northeast of Washington.

It is located on a crucial north/south axis for transportation and the economy of the east coast of the United States. It is named after a local son, Francis Scott Key, who wrote the lyrics to the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner.

All access to the bridge was blocked by a large deployment of police forces, noted an AFP journalist on site.

Shipping traffic tracking site MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship named Dali stopped under the bridge early Tuesday.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. both said relief operations were underway. “Pray for those affected,” Mr. Olszewski said on the social network X.

LNT with Afp