Baltimore Key Bridge collapses into river overnight
A container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, collapsing the bridge and sending several vehicles into the Patapsco River.
Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge crumbles after container ship strikes it early March 26, 2024.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday morning. A container ship crashed into the bridge, sending part of the structure and several vehicles into the Patapsco River.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge is part of Interstate 695 and is next to the Port of Baltimore. About 11.5 million vehicles cross the bridge each year.
The Associated Press reported that Kevin Carwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told the AP that several vehicles were on the bridge when it had collapsed, “including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck.”
The collapse will likely cause significant traffic congestion and delays for trucking operations around the Port of Baltimore.
Videos of the crash have been posted on social media and can be viewed online. The ship caused portions of the bridge to sink into the water in seconds while thick black smoke began to rise from the ship itself.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge is a major route for eastern U.S. truck operations, with about 11.5 million vehicles crossing the bridge each year.
According to Business Insider, the ship that crashed into the bridge was named Dali, owned and managed by Singaporean businesses. The ship had just left the Port of Baltimore to head to Sri Lanka, reported the New York Times.
U.S. News reported that two people were rescued from the river and that the Baltimore Fire Department “may be looking for upwards of seven people.”
“Our sonar has detected the presence of vehicles submerged in the water,” Fire Chief James Wallace said at a news conference, according to CNN. “I don’t have a count of that yet.”
CNN also reported that Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland State Transportation Secretary, said that workers had been doing concrete deck repair on the bridge at the time of the crash.
According to the New York Times, the container ship had left the Port of Baltimore at approximately 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. At 1:28 a.m., the ship crashed into one of the columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. City police have closed down roads throughout surrounding areas.
Emergency response teams continued Tuesday morning searching for people and vehicles in the river.
Editor Jeremy Wolfe joined the FleetOwner team in February 2024. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with majors in English and Philosophy. He previously served as Editor for Endeavor Business Media's Water Group publications.
