Baltimore, Maryland, was the scene of a terrifying event, where overnight, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed following a violent collision with a cargo ship. The accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. At the time, several vehicles were still crossing the Key Bridge. Many of these ended up in the water. According to reports from the Maryland City Fire Department, the collapse also involved seven people, a figure that could eventually climb to 20.
The disturbing images released by the YouTube channel StreamTime LIVE, a platform that collects videos of ships taken from fixed cameras deployed in ports, have been making the rounds on social media. The video shows the entire sequence of the ship’s approach to the bridge, the crash, and the collapse of the infrastructure.
After the impact, the massive merchant ship caught fire and sank–at least partially. “The entire bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River,” reported the local Fire Department. “We have reason to believe that there were vehicles and possibly a tractor-trailer at the time of the accident. Our focus at this time is on the rescue and recovery of these people.”
At present, city authorities have not yet stated whether there are any casualties. What is confirmed is that the ship is leaking oil into the river and that rescue operations will continue into the day.
As reported by several U.S. media outlets, the ship flew a Singapore flag: it had recently sailed from Baltimore, bound for Sri Lanka. Naturally, after several 911 reports, city law enforcement and the National Coast Guard rushed to the scene in addition to the fire department. “Baltimore traffic alert, avoid I-695 in southeast corridor. Collapse of I-695 Key Bridge due to vessel collision,” Maryland authorities announced on X, “Pray for those affected.”
The bridge in question had been opened in 1977, named after the author of America’s national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner. It was just under two miles long, allowing traffic users to cross the Patapsco River bypassing the city’s port area.
