BALTIMORE, Md. – Authorities searched in vain Tuesday for at least six people missing after a container ship struck and brought down Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who arrived at the scene Tuesday, said the crew of the ship alerted authorities they had a “power issue” on board shortly before the collision.
State Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld told reporters there had been a crew fixing potholes on the bridge at the time of the collapse, which he said did not contribute to the incident. The missing people are believed to be construction workers, officials said. Two workers were rescued from the water.
While the investigation into what happened is just beginning, authorities said all signs point to an accident. An FBI spokesperson said there is no evidence this was an act of terrorism. The bridge, which opened 47 years ago this week, was fully up to code, according to Moore.
“To hear the words that the key bridge has collapsed, it’s shocking,” the governor told reporters. “The words that the key bridge is gone, it still shakes us … This is not just unprecedented, it’s heartbreaking.”
State officials promised a rebuild of the bridge, a critical commuter route through greater Baltimore.
Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace said the ship struck a column of the bridge in the early morning hours, causing a major portion of it to snap. Entrances to the bridge were immediately shut down and traffic on this span of I-695 was redirected through the I-95 and I-895 tunnels.
Rescue efforts were coordinated by several first responding agencies in the city of Baltimore and Harford County, along with the U.S. Coast Guard.
“We have a large area we have to search. This includes on the surface of the water, subsurface, as well as on the deck of the ship itself,” Wallace told reporters. “Over the next eight to 12 hours, you can expect to continue to see our air and maritime assets functioning out on the water and in the air above. We need to do damage assessment of the ship itself before we can board that ship.”
A spokesperson for the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center confirmed that with Capital News Service they received one patient from the incident.
Capital News Service spoke with Camille Sims, who lives less than 10 minutes from the bridge. Sims, who works in Baltimore and frequently drives the bridge, said she was awake and felt her house shake after 1 a.m.
“My house just started shaking a little bit. It wasn’t crazy, like earthquake shaking, it was just like moving and I was confused,” she said.
Several government officials issued statements in response to the incident.
“Having worked in that area most of my life, I understand the bridge’s vital role for Baltimore’s Port and commuters,” State Sen. Johnny Ray Salling said in a statement. “Losing this bridge will devastate the entire area, as well as the entire East Coast. We depend on the Port of Baltimore for transportation, travel, and commerce.”
State House Republicans also released a joint statement, saying “while this horrendous incident will require a full investigation, right now our focus must be on the victims, their families, and making sure they get the care and services they need. We must also take a moment to acknowledge the bravery of our heroic first responders currently working on rescue efforts.”
More coverage:
• Vessel traffic through the Port of Baltimore has been suspended indefinitely
• The history of Baltimore’s Key Bridge
• Key Bridge’s collapse adds to list of U.S. bridge disasters
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