{"id":407414,"date":"2024-03-27T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=407414"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Ship-hits-Baltimore-bridge-bringing-it-down-at-least-7-people-believed-to-be-in-the-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Ship-hits-Baltimore-bridge-bringing-it-down-at-least-7-people-believed-to-be-in-the-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Ship hits Baltimore bridge, bringing it down; at least 7 people believed to be in the water"},"content":{"rendered":"

BALTIMORE<\/strong> (AP)\u2014A major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for at least seven people in the water.<\/p>\n

The vessel appears to have hit one of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to break apart in several places and plunge into the water, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The ship caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a dire emergency,\u201d Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press. \u201cOur focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, Cartwright said, though he said it\u2019s too early to know how many people were affected. He called the collapse a \u201cdeveloping mass casualty event.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that some cargo appeared to be dangling from the bridge, which spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. Opened in 1977, the bridge is named for the writer of \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agencies received emergency calls around 1:30 a.m. reporting that a ship leaving Baltimore had struck a column on the bridge, according to Cartwright. Several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck.<\/p>\n

He said the ship was called \u201cDali.\u201d A ship but that name was headed through Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, as its final destination, according to Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder. The ship was flying under a Singapore flag, WTOP radio station reported, citing petty officer Matthew West from the Coast Guard in Baltimore<\/p>\n

Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. posted that emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured,\u201d the Maryland Transportation Authority posted on X.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The vessel Zhen Hua 13<\/em>, carrying four giant shipping cranes for delivery and installation at the Port of Baltimore, passes under the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Wednesday, June 20, 2012.<\/p>\n

-Patrick Semansky\/AP
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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