Rescue operations continue: Cars and people fall into the water after a ship collision causes the bridge in Baltimore to collapse

A large bridge collapsed in the US city of Baltimore after being hit by a cargo ship.

The footage shows a large section of the 2.5km-long Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsing into the Patapsco River after a collision occurred at around 1:30am local time (5:30am UK time).

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The video shows vehicles falling off the bridge.

Six people remain missing after two were rescued from the water.

One of the rescued people is in a “very serious condition” and is being treated in hospital, while the other is uninjured.

Officials said the ship had sent a distress call to authorities before the collision, saying it had lost propulsion power. It was later reported that it had lost propulsion and dropped anchor before the accident.

Baltimore Bridge News: Follow Live Updates

CCTV and marine tracking data show the shipknown as Dali, loses power, corrects course, and begins smoking about 60 seconds before impact with the bridge.

All traffic in the Port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice, the Maryland Transport Authority said.

In an update Tuesday afternoon, Baltimore Governor Wes Moore and Maryland Transportation Authority Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said those still missing were believed to be construction workers who were on the bridge to repair potholes.

All 22 crew members on board the ship, including the two pilots, have been found; there are no reports of injuries.

According to Moore, information from a preliminary investigation points to an accident. He said there is no evidence of a terrorist attack.

“To the victims of this tragedy and their families: Our hearts are broken. We feel your loss and are thinking of you,” Moore said.

“We pray for the construction workers who were on the bridge and for all those affected by this tragedy.
We will get through this.”

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott declared a state of emergency for the next 30 days while the search for the missing people continues.

He had previously said the collapse “looked like something out of an action movie.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the incident.

More about the bridge collapse:
What do we know about the bridge and the ship that hit it?
How did the catastrophe happen?

The 289 m long container ship was on its way to Colombo in Sri Lanka at the time of the collision.

The ship was chartered by the Danish shipping company Maersk, which was “horrified by what happened” and said its condolences were with all those affected.

According to Vessel Finder and marine accident website Shipwrecklog, the same ship was involved in a minor incident in 2016 when it rammed a quay in the port of Antwerp, Belgium.

The ship was reportedly damaged in the incident, but no injuries or pollution were reported.

Bridge is “main traffic artery” for locals

The bridge, known locally as the Key Bridge, was described by local resident Michael Brown as the area’s “main thoroughfare.”

“It’s like an April Fool’s joke at the moment,” Brown told Sky News’ US partner channel NBC.

“It (the bridge) is an important artery in the area, not only for traffic but also for the port. Hopefully everyone involved is OK.”

Brown said he uses the bridge to visit family and its destruction is a “big problem,” but he noted that the focus should be on getting the people out who are in the water.

Interstate 695, the road that crosses the bridge, was closed and traffic was diverted by the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Impact on trade

The Port of Baltimore, which ocean-going vessels reach by passing under the bridge, is the eleventh largest in the United States, so its closure will have knock-on effects on the industry.

Richard Meade, editor of Lloyd’s List, a news magazine covering the global shipping industry, said the collision would be a “significant and costly” operation due to the diversion of shipping traffic, the impact on trade and the reconstruction of the bridge itself.

According to MarineTraffic, around 40 ships are still in the closed port, and another 30 have indicated the port as their destination.

Built in 1977, the Key Bridge is one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance.

It was named after the author of The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, which was created after a battle between the United States and Great Britain in Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812.

David MacKenzie, chairman of the engineering firm COWIfonden, predicted that the reconstruction of the bridge costs 10 times more than the approximately $60 million (£47 million) originally spent on its construction.

Tune in tonight at 9pm on Sky News for a special edition of The World with Yalda Hakim.