By Cynthia Abah
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, USA, collapsed following a collision with a ship, as reported by the Maryland Transportation Authority on early Tuesday. Urging drivers to steer clear of the interstate highway over the Patapsco River, labeled as an “active scene,” the MTA disclosed the incident via social media platform X, dubbing it as the “I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike.”
Initially, the MTA had shut down interstate lanes in both directions citing an “incident” on the bridge, with traffic being redirected. Baltimore Police Department’s spokesperson informed NBC News of potential individuals in the river during the collapse. Detective Niki Fennoy confirmed, stating, “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.”
The ship monitoring website MarineTraffic displayed a Singapore-flagged container ship named the Dali stationary beneath the bridge during the early hours of Tuesday. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scoot and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr acknowledged the event, affirming ongoing rescue endeavors. Olszewski Jr. urged for prayers for those affected, as conveyed through his post on X.
