Baltimore bridge collapse confirmed to be 'mass casualty event' after number of vehicles fall into water

The Baltimore bridge collapse has been confirmed to be a 'mass casualty event' after a number of vehicles fell into the water.

At around 01.30am local time (05:30 GMT) today (26 March), the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a container ship.

The BBC reports that someone placed a 911 call reporting an incident with the bridge, and the Baltimore City Fire Department confirmed that the bridge had been struck by 'a large vessel', which caused it to collapse into the river.

Shocking CCTV footage has emerged online showing the moment the bridge collapsed into the water after being struck and has been re-posted on social media thousands of times.

A Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson has since confirmed that the collapse is a 'mass casualty event', with 'as many as seven individuals and several vehicles' having fallen into the river.

The Baltimore City Fire Department communications chief believes as many as 20 workers have fallen into the water, though the number of casualties are yet to be confirmed.

Multiple rescue agencies are currently on the scene, with the fire department taking the lead and being assisted by the US Coastguard.

According to ship tracking data, the vessel that collided with the bridge was the Singapore-flagged Dali container ship, which is 300 meters long and was on its way to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

The Dali is said to have departed from the terminal at Port Breeze at around 12.45am local time, before heading towards the Baltimore bridge, where it became stationary around 45 minutes later.

Synergy Marine Group, the shipping company that owns the Dali, has since confirmed to the BBC that there aren't any injuries among ship crew, saying 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."

All crew members, including the two pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries, it added.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has confirmed he's aware of the incident and is on his way to the scene.

As reported by BBC News, he said: "I'm aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge... Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway."

Taking to social media, Baltimore County executive Johnny Olszewski Jr confirmed rescue efforts are underway, while asking his followers to 'pray for those impacted'.

He said: "I am aware of the situation at the Key Bridge and remain in regular communication with my Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Operations.

"Rescue efforts are underway. Please pray for those impacted."

The Francis Scott Key bridge - known locally as the Key Bridge - overlooks the Patapsco River and is part of the I-95 interstate, running from Miami, Florida to Maine.

LADbible has contacted the Baltimore City Fire Department and US Coast Guard for further updates.

This is a developing story and updates will be posted accordingly.