Container Ship Collision Leads To Collapse Of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, Here's All About It

Early on Tuesday (26 March), Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship collided with the four-lane span, causing cars to fall into the river as per a report by The Economic Times.

The incident occurred at 1:27 a.m. ET (0527 GMT) when a container ship named the Dali struck a pylon of the bridge while sailing down the Patapsco River, leading to the collapse of almost the entire structure into the water. Police stated that there was no indication of terrorism.

The headlights of vehicles could be seen on the bridge as it crashed into the water, and the ship caught fire. Several vehicles plunged into the water, with reports suggesting that up to 20 people may be in the river. At least one person was seriously injured.

The Dali was scheduled to sail on shipping company Maersk's route to Sri Lanka, according to the Danish company's website.

The ship, registered under the Singapore flag, is owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and managed by Synergy Marine Group, as per LSEG data.

The ship is 948 feet (289 meters) long and was carrying a high stack of containers. All crew members, including the two pilots, have been safely accounted for, with no reports of injuries.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which opened in 1977, is a four-lane structure that sits 185 feet (56 meters) above the river.

It crosses the Patapsco River, where Francis Scott Key wrote the "Star Spangled Banner" in 1814 after witnessing the British defeat at the Battle of Baltimore and the British bombing of Fort McHenry.

The bridge carries 11.3 million vehicles a year on the I-695 highway, known as the Baltimore Beltway, which circles Baltimore.