A bridge collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States. The accident happened in the early hours of Tuesday (26) and was caught on a monitoring camera.
As a result, according to the chief of the local fire department, James Wallace, two people were removed from the water, one of whom is in serious condition.
Firefighters reported that divers are searching for at least 7 people still in the river. Initial information reported that up to 20 were missing, but according to firefighters, the exact number of people in the water is still unknown.
“We’re still in a search and rescue situation right now, and we’ll be in it for some time,” Wallace said. “It’s a terrible emergency,” Baltimore Fire Department communications director Kevin Cartwright told the AP.
Additionally, authorities stated that an unknown number of vehicles were traveling across the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the time of the incident. At least one of them would be a large trailer.
Rescue teams race against time. Conditions there are low visibility, and the temperature in Baltimore this morning is around -1ºC, according to the American network CNN. The water temperature is around 9ºC — capable of causing death from hypothermia, depending on the individual’s exposure time.
According to the newspaper “The New York Times”, the ship involved in the accident is a container ship flying the Singapore flag and was destined for Sri Lanka.
The cargo ship, named Dali, is 300 meters long and 48 meters wide, according to the MarineTraffic website.
The ship was operated by the company Synergy and was in service with the Danish company Maersk, according to CNN.
To facilitate the work of firefighters, the Maryland Transportation Authority blocked all roads in the region of the Francis Scott Key Bridge — an important link between two points in the city, crossing the Patapsco River.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is in contact with the governor and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott.
