Two people removed from water after Baltimore bridge collapse

Two people have been rescued from the water after Baltimore's Key bridge collapsed when struck by a cargo ship.

Container ship Dali made contact with the bridge after leaving a port in Baltimore in the early hours of this morning.

All crew members of the container ship Dali were accounted for and uninjured in the collision, shipping company Synergy Marine Group announced.

Confirming the first rescue of two people in the water, Baltimore Police Chief James Wallace said: "One individual refused service and refuse transport essentially that person was not injured.

"However, there was another individual that's been transported to a local trauma centre that is in a very serious condition."

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed into the water at around 01.30am local time (5:30 GMT) today (March 26), after it was struck by a container ship.

The Maryland governor Wes Moore has declared the bridge collapse as a state of emergency, whilst rescuers continue their search for people in the water.

In a statement, he said: “We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone’s safety.

“We will remain in close contact with federal, state, and local entities that are carrying out rescue efforts as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy.”

Julian Carter, a structural engineer who spoke to Sky News, said the Baltimore bridge, like many, has ‘very weak points’.

He described the event as a ‘catastrophic collapse’ which happened because everything along the structure is ‘interconnected’.