The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, in the eastern United States, collapsed around 1:30 in the morning this Tuesday (five hours more in peninsular Spain) after a large vessel with containers crashed into it.
In images spread on social networks, the ship is seen colliding with one of the pillars of the bridge while cars crossed it, falling into the river.
The bridge is a strategic route that connects two parts of the city of Baltimore over the Patapsco River.
It is usually very busy, but given the time, the volume of cars passing through it was lower.
The number of victims and missing persons is unknown for now.
Rescue and emergency teams have been mobilized.
“All lanes closed in both directions due to incident on I-695 Key Bridge.
“Traffic is being diverted,” the Maryland Transportation Authority has limited itself to saying for the moment.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024
“I am aware and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott tweeted.
“Emergency personnel are on scene and efforts are underway,” he added.
Baltimore police have acknowledged that several cars have fallen into the river.
The ship that crashed into the bridge caught fire.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, also originally known as the Outer Harbor Crossing (until it was renamed in 1977) or simply as the Key Bridge or Beltway Bridge, is a continuous steel arch-shaped truss bridge spanning the lower Patapsco River and the Outer Port of Baltimore and carrying Maryland Route 695 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
The main span, at 366 meters, was the third longest in the world and the longest in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, in a file image.Mark Wilson (Getty Images)
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