A cargo ship crashed into the bridge early Tuesday morning. A state of emergency was declared in Baltimore due to the accident.
Riikka Kajander,
Teemu Juhola,
Vilma Romsi
In the US city of Baltimore, a bridge collapsed into the river when a cargo ship hit the bridge early Tuesday morning.
In the collision, several cars fell into the Patapsco River. There is currently no information on possible victims.
A major rescue operation is underway. Rescue personnel are still searching for seven people in the river. Two people have been rescued from the water. According to the authorities, one of the rescued has been taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The mayor of Baltimore has declared a state of emergency for the city due to the accident. Also the governor Wes Moore later declared a state of emergency to get federal aid to the city.
The ship that hit the bridge caught fire. The emergency number was alerted about the accident at 1.30 am local time.
The partially collapsed bridge is called the Francis Scott Key Bridge. According to the Maryland State Transportation Authority, traffic leading to the bridge has been detoured.
Maryland State Secretary of Transportation Paul J. Wiedefeld says that the Port of Baltimore is closed to shipping for the time being. The port is one of the busiest in the United States. Truck traffic to the port continues.
According to news channel ABC, the cargo ship’s crew had lost control of the ship before the accident.
ABC refers to a report by the US Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) that said the ship had lost its thrust.
According to ABC, the crew had warned the Maryland State Department of Transportation about the loss of control of the vessel and the danger of crashing into the bridge. According to Governor Moore, the authorities thus had time to limit traffic, which saved lives.
According to the police, there are no indications of terrorism in the accident. The White House also says that the incident is not believed to be caused by intentional damage.
Biden: Repair work from state funds
President of the United States Joe Biden has commented on the Baltimore bridge accident in his TV speech.
Biden said it was his intention that the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last night, be rebuilt with state funds. Biden also hoped that one of the busiest ports in the United States would be quickly brought back into operation.
Biden described the cargo ship’s collision with the bridge as a “terrible accident”.
A very busy bridge
The collapsed bridge has four lanes and is more than 2.6 kilometers long. CNN’s it was opened in 1977. More than 31,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day, and there are approximately 11 million cars annually.
The bridge is also important for traffic between Washington and New York.
A former Baltimore fire department employee who lives near the bridge told local media about his experiences.
– We woke up to a sound that seemed like an earthquake and a loud rumble of thunder. I saw the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles from the window and decided to drive to the scene. A large-scale operation was underway there, the man, who remained anonymous, said.
The cargo ship was on its way to Sri Lanka
The container ship that collided with the bridge sails under the flag of Singapore. According to the vessel’s owner, Synergy Marine Group, the cause of the accident is unknown. According to the company, none of the ship’s personnel was injured in the accident.
The authority responsible for Singapore’s shipping and ports says that it will cooperate with the US authorities in connection with the investigation of the accident.
The ship on its way to Sri Lanka was operated by Maersk.
The news is updated.
26/03/2024: Correction: The ship that hit the bridge did not sink, as the news earlier incorrectly read about news activities based on AP.
3/26/2024: Correction: The full name of the bridge is Francis Scott Key Bridge, not Francis Scott Key.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, AP, STT