Six people are presumed dead in Baltimore, Maryland, after a cargo ship crashed into the structural support of the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River on Tuesday.
The ship hit the bridge at 1:28 a.m., according to an article from The New York Times. CCTV footage of the incident showed the bridge collapsing moments after the 985-foot freighter collided with the bridge.
Two people were pulled from the Patapsco River on Tuesday, James Wallace, the Baltimore fire chief told CNN . One was not injured and the other was taken to a local trauma center in “very serious condition,” Wallace said.
Ship officials say that the ship had lost power prior to the incident which is still being investigated. The crew had issued a “mayday” call allowing first responders to reroute traffic off of the bridge. The Baltimore Police radio traffic recording at 1:27 a.m. captured responders rushing to evacuate and hold traffic on the bridge after a crew member announced that a ship had lost control of its steering, according to a Washington Post article .
Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a statewide state of emergency, and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott declared a state of local emergency, which he announced on “X.” The federal government also stepped in. United States President Joe Biden issued a statement on Tuesday via the White House.
“I told [the Maryland state government] we’re going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency,” Biden said. “ I mean all the federal resources. We’re going to rebuild that port together.”
Biden also said on Tuesday that the federal government would pay the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge, mentioning that he hopes the bridge will be rebuilt and reopened “as soon as humanly possible.”
Baltimore ranks as the ninth biggest U.S. port for international cargo, according to CNN. It handled 52.3 million tons valued at $80.8 billion in 2023. The collapse has put an indefinite stop to all ships coming in and out of the harbor. Immediate economic impacts are unknown, but Scott told the public his priorities.
“A bridge can be rebuilt, but our focus is on these people,” Scott said in a Tuesday news conference.
The incident is calling for an investigation in the structure and foundation of the Key Bridge.
The ship struck a vital supporting point known as a “pylon” or a “pier.” Without the pier, it’s impossible for the bridge to maintain the load it carries on a regular basis. Numerous engineers have already taken a look at the scenario, one of those being Shankar Nair, a member of the National Academy of Engineering weighing in.
“This is a huge shock,” Nair said. “A bridge of that size and importance should not collapse when hit by an errant vessel.”
The engineers mention that there was a possibility of the bridge surviving the collision had the piers been equipped with blocking devices known as fenders. Fenders are used in bridge engineering to shield the supports from damage by water or collisions.
The National Transportation Safety Board will look at the construction of the bridge and determine whether its design may have contributed to its collapse after the crash, according to The New York Times. The investigation is still going on, but search and rescue has concluded.