Horror images from the USA: In Baltimore (US state of Maryland), a bridge collapsed after it was rammed by a container ship. It caught fire!
At least seven vehicles collapsed from the bridge into the water. A car the size of a truck is also said to have been on the road. The dramatic incident occurred in the middle of the night around 1:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. German time).
A spokesman for the Fire department: “Our main focus at the moment is on rescuing and recovering people.” He spoke of an “evolving mass casualty event.” A rescue helicopter is in the air and a diving team is on site.
Five hours after the accident, local fire chief James Wallace said: Two people were rescued from the water. One of them is in mortal danger.
CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam previously wrote: Because of the low water temperatures, rescuers only had a window of one to three hours to rescue people from the river alive.
A trucker who regularly passes the bridge told CBS News that he had no hopes for the people who might have fallen into the water. The water in the harbor is so incredibly cold at this time of year. “It’s like the Titanic.” A CBS reporter on the scene said the bridge was “basically completely gone.”
Fire department: Up to 20 people fell into the water
“Unfortunately, we know that up to 20 people and several vehicles could be in the river,” said a fire department spokesman CNN. The temperature on site felt like it was around minus 1 degree. “I’m sure the water temperature is even colder. This can pose a problem and a risk for our divers,” the spokesman said.
There Radio Transmitter „WTOP“ out of Washington reported, citing a coast guard representative, that the accident container ship “Dali” was sailing under the Singapore flag. Accordingly, it was on its way to Sri Lanka. According to the owner, the ship’s crew remained uninjured.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott (39) wrote on X: “Emergency responders are on site and the investigation is ongoing.”
The collapsed bridge was around 2.6 kilometers long and spanned the Patapsco River. The overpass was named after Francis Scott Key, who wrote the lyrics to today’s American national anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1814.