Baltimore bridge collapses after ship collision

A portion of the steel arch-shaped Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed into the water early Tuesday morning after a cargo ship struck it, state authorities reported.

"Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike. Active scene," Maryland Transportation Authority said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Transport authorities added that traffic was being detoured on the I-695 highway that crosses the bridge. 

The 1.6-mile (2.57 kilometer) bridge spans the Patapsco River in southern Baltimore, in the east of the US.  Videos shared on social media showed multiple vehicles falling into the river after the collision.

The mayor of Baltimore said emergency personnel were on scene and rescue efforts were underway.

"Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway," Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott wrote on X.People were possibly in the river after the collapse, a police spokesperson from the Baltimore Police Department told NBC News.

"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," Detective Niki Fennoy said in a statement.

Emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, the Associated Press news agency reported, citing the director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department.

Kevin Cartwright told AP that multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time the vessel struck one of its columns, causing it to collapse.

He described the collapse as a "developing mass casualty event."

"This is a dire emergency," he said.

Ship monitoring website MarineTraffic showed a Singapore-flagged container ship called the Dali stopped under the bridge early Tuesday.