March 26, 2024 - Baltimore Key Bridge collapses after ship collision

The water at the scene of the collapsed bridge is about 48°F (9°C) making rescue operations all the more urgent for anyone who may potentially be in the water, CNN’s Derek Van Dam says.

“Water temperature of roughly 50 doesn't sound all that cold, but indeed that type of water temperature can be deadly.”

Van Dam said there is a one to three-hour window at which the body could sustain temperatures that cold. But, he said underwater divers immediately got into the water to start a search and rescue operation, “that is why it is so incredibly crucial.”

Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department, told CNN temperatures around the port at 1:30 a.m. ET felt to be around 30 °F (-1°C).

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

"We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone’s safety," the governor's statement said.

The US Coast Guard (USCG) is responding to the Francis Scott Key Bridge emergency after receiving a report that a container ship hit it at 1:27 a.m. ET "and it subsequently collapsed," according to a public affairs officer Kimberly Reaves of the Coast Guard's 5th District.

There are reports of vehicles in the water, according to Reaves, who says the Coast Guard has deployed "multiple" response units for a search and rescue mission.

Reaves said that multiple state and local agencies are assisting, and it is unclear if there are any casualties.

US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg spoke to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to a post from the secretary on X. 

Buttigieg said that “rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response.”

The vessel that hit Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge was a container ship, the DALI, according to public affairs officer Kimberly Reaves of the US Coast Guard's 5th District.

A container ship named DALI "hit the Francis Scott Key bridge" at 1:27 a.m. ET "and it subsequently collapsed," Reaves said in a statement.

Maritime tracking website MarineTraffic showed that the Singapore-flagged ship stopped in Baltimore, where it was departing with a destination of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The website showed the ship stopped around 1:30 a.m. ET and was surrounded by first response boats.

At about 1:30 a.m., local agencies reported receiving 911 calls that a large ship traveling outbound from Baltimore had struck a column on the bridge, Kevin Cartwright, spokesperson for the Baltimore Fire Department told AP. 

The ship is around 300 meters (984 feet) long with a width of around 48 meters (157 feet), according to MarineTraffic data.

CNN is attempting to contact the owner and managers of the ship.

This post has been updated to add comments from the Coast Guard.

Officials will begin assessing the condition of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it collapsed early Tuesday, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department told CNN.

Currently, conditions are "unsafe" but investigators will also assess the condition of the bridge before its collapse, according to Cartwright.

Freezing conditions and limited visibility at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore could "pose a concern" as rescue crews search for at least 20 people believed to have fallen into the water.

Kevin Cartwright, director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department, told CNN they are working with the US Coast Guard and a team of divers are in the river for search and rescue operations, with temperatures around the port at around 30 °F (-1°C).

Cartwright said the teams were working "methodically and safely" to ensure "everyone operating here on the scene is safe and that we're able to make progress without causing adverse harm to anyone else."

Baltimore is facing a "mass casualty multi agency incident," with response teams working to rescue around 20 people who may have fallen into the river when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.

Cartwright said they are working with the US Coast Guard and a team of divers are in the river for search and rescue operations, with temperatures around the port at around 30 °F (-1°C).

There could have been a vehicle "as large as a tractor trailer" on the bridge at the time of collapse, Cartwright said.

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by a large ship is a "very significant crash" and will raise many questions, CNN correspondent Gabe Cohen said.

Rescue crews are searching for at least seven people in the Patapsco River after multiple vehicles fell into the water when the bridge collapsed, a Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson earlier told the Associated Press.

Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told the AP the bridge collapse was a "developing mass casualty event."  

The interstate is used by a lot of commuters alongside a high volume of cargo shipping, CNN's Cohen said.