Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with a support.Credit:AP
He said police were working with the FBI and other state agencies to gather intel but again stressed there was no evidence of any foul play.
Earlier,Kevin Cartwright,director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department,said that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time,including one the size of a semi-trailer.
Cartwright said that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge,which spans the Patapsco River at the entrance to a busy harbour. The river leads to the Port of Baltimore,a major hub for shipping on the east coast. Opened in 1977,the bridge is named for the writer ofThe Star-Spangled Banner.
Baltimore port’s private and public terminals handled 847,158 automobiles and light trucks in 2023,the most of any US port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery,sugar,gypsum and coal,according to a Maryland government website.
Ships sailing to the US port of Baltimore dropped anchor in waters nearby while vessels were stranded inside the port after traffic was halted following the collapse,shipping data showed on Tuesday.
Port traffic was suspended until further notice,Maryland transportation authorities said.
The bridge is almost three times as long as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and forms part of a critical road link between Washington,DC,and New York City.
It is part of Interstate 695 and is also used by a large number of Baltimore commuters.
Synergy Marine Group — which owns and manages the ship called the “Dali” — confirmed the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30am while two pilots were in control. It said all crew members,including the pilots,were accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.
A screenshot showing the Dali hitting the bridge.Credit:VesselFinder.com
From a vantage point near the entrance to the bridge,jagged remnants of its steel frame were visible protruding from the water,with the on-ramp ending abruptly where the span once began.
The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo,Sri Lanka as its final destination,according to Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder. The ship was flying under a Singapore flag,WTOP radio station reported,citing Petty Officer Matthew West from the Coast Guard in Baltimore.
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore,and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk said.
Tuesday’s disaster may be the worst US bridge collapse since 2007 when the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River,killing 13.
Reuters,AP