The bridge collapse in Baltimore has been confirmed to be a 'mass casualty event'.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River after a cargo ship struck it this morning.
Emergency services believe that there are as many as 20 people in the water, with a huge rescue operation currently underway.
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The large ship struck the bridge in Baltimore at around 1.30am local time, causing large portions of the structure to collapse and enter the water.
Video footage shows the vessel catching fire before sinking, with multiple vehicles also falling into the water.
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Pedestrians have also been affected by the bridge's collapse.
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At around 3am local time, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told the Associated Press: "Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.”
Cartwright said that it is too early to know exactly how many people have been affected by the collapse, but called the incident a 'developing mass casualty event'.
The 47-year-old bridge is closed to traffic, with the Maryland Transportation Authority saying in a statement: “All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured."
Mayor of Baltimore Brandon M Scott tweeted a statement, saying: “I’m aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge. I have been in contact with [Fire] Chief Wallace, @GovWesMoore@JohnnyOJr, and @AACoExec. Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway.”
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The vessel involved in the collision has since been confirmed as the vessel Dali.
According to website Marine Traffic, the ship was flagged in Singapore and had been bound for Colombo Port in Sri Lanka.
It was listed as having an overall length of 299.92 metres (around 983.9ft) and a width of 48.2 metres (around 158.1ft).
All of the crew on board the ship have been accounted for, its management company Synergy Marine Group has confirmed.
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The company has said that the exact cause of the incident has not yet been determined.
A spokesperson for the firm said in a statement: “Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the ‘Dali’ has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident response service."
Terrifying footage has been re-posted on social media showing the moment that the cargo ship struck the 1.6-mile-long Key Bridge.
A large section of the bridge can be seen to collapse entirely into the river below.
Several cars were seen to be crossing the four-lane bridge at the time of the collision.
Topics: News, US News, Baltimore bridge
