breaking news
A bridge collapsed in Baltimore, Maryland. According to the traffic authority, a ship had previously rammed the bridge. Several vehicles are said to have fallen into the depths.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in the US city of Baltimore has collapsed. This was announced by the Maryland State Traffic Inspectorate. This was preceded by a collision with a cargo ship at around 1:30 a.m. local time (6:45 a.m. German time).
A video circulated on social networks showing how the outline of a cargo ship can be seen on one of the pillars – this is where the collapse of the entire road slab comes from. Several vehicles fall into the water.
Four-lane highway bridge
The approximately 2.57 kilometer long bridge was completed in 1977. It is a four-lane road bridge over which the Interstate 695 highway, called the “Baltimore Beltway”, runs. The bridge connects the Hawkins Point and Dundalk neighborhoods, which are separated by the Patapsco River.
The Maryland Transportation Authority said the highway was closed and traffic was being rerouted.
Rescue operation in progress
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott wrote on X that emergency services were at the scene of the accident and had started work. He himself is on his way to the place.
The fire department is currently looking for at least seven people in the water, a spokesman said. He was unable to provide any information about how many injured and missing people there might be. However, the emergency services would have to proceed carefully, as individual parts of the bridge could still fall into the water on the pillars that had become unstable.
More information coming soon.