Mass Casualty Event' Declared After Major Interstate Bridge Collapses

An incident early Tuesday morning, described as a "mass casualty event," led to the dramatic collapse of a significant bridge in Baltimore after a ship collision.

WBAL-TV reports that the catastrophe occurred around 1:30 a.m. when the Francis Scott Key Bridge, spanning the Patapsco River, was compromised, resulting in at least seven vehicles falling into the water below.

Mayor Brandon Scott, in a statement to the press at a 6 a.m. news briefing covered by the New York Post, expressed profound shock at the event. "This is an unthinkable tragedy," he remarked, adding, "Never would you think that you could see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie," Scott conveyed.

The bridge's collapse was reportedly due to a collision with an outbound container ship, as detailed by CBS News. Among the vehicles submerged was at least one tractor-trailer.

WBAL also shared that Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace confirmed the rescue of two individuals from the water; one was in serious condition, while the other refused medical treatment.

Chief Wallace noted that there were at least seven people missing following the incident.

Addressing the rescue efforts, Wallace mentioned, “We’ll be guided by our guide teams. This water is current-influenced, so right now, we think the current is coming in, so we have to take a lot of factors in play,” during the press conference as reported by WBAL.

Kevin Cartwright, the Baltimore City Fire Department's communications chief, labeled the situation a "developing mass casualty event," as cited by the Post. “This is a dire emergency,” he emphasized according to WBAL.

In response to the calamity, Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced a state of emergency, as stated by the station.

Baltimore's Police Commissioner Richard Worley, quoted by WBAL, suggested there was no evidence to imply the event was deliberate.

The vessel involved in the bridge collision was identified by the Post as a Singapore-flagged ship en route to Sri Lanka.

The New York Times provided background on the bridge, noting that the 1.6-mile structure, which is a segment of Interstate 695, commenced construction in 1972 and was inaugurated in 1977.