The Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) announced early Tuesday that the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the city of Baltimore collapsed following a collision with a ship.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the MTA stated, “I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike,” in reference to the interstate highway. It advised drivers to avoid the route over the Patapsco River, describing the area as an “active scene.”
Earlier reports from the MTA indicated that interstate lanes in both directions had been shut down due to an “incident” on the bridge, and traffic was being rerouted.
A spokesperson from the Baltimore Police Department informed NBC News that there were potential individuals in the river following the collapse.
“I can confirm at 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City police were notified of a partial bridge collapse, with workers possibly in the water, at the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” stated Detective Niki Fennoy.
According to the ship tracking website MarineTraffic, the Dali, a container ship with a Singapore flag, was shown as stopped under the bridge in the early hours of Tuesday.
Both Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scoot and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. acknowledged the incident and stated that rescue operations were underway.
