Two people have been rescued alive from the waters of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, where hours before a 2.5 kilometer long bridge collapsed after the collision of a freighter.
The city’s fire chief, James Wallace, informed local media that of the two people rescued, one was unharmed and refused treatment, while the other was taken to a hospital and her condition is serious.
Firefighters had been searching for hours for more than twenty people who supposedly fell into the water after the bridge collapsed.
It is believed that some of the missing are passengers of vehicles that were crossing the Francis Scott Key when a freighter collided with one of the central pillars and completely collapsed it.
The rest were workers on a construction crew, but it is not clear if they worked on the same bridge.
The collision occurred around 01:30 local time (05.30 GMT), when several vehicles were traveling on the bridge, according to media reports.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and asked the federal government in Washington for help.
“I have spoken with Governor Moore and Mayor (Brendon) Scott to offer support (….) Rescue efforts are ongoing and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local guidance on detours and response actions,” he wrote in X the US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
A bridge of more than 2 kilometers
The bridge is vital infrastructure for Baltimore, and especially for its port, which annually generates $2.6 billion in revenue and more than $395 million in taxes.
Precisely, the freighter Deli – with the flag of Singapore – that hit one of the pylons of the Francis Scott Key Bridge had left the port of Baltimore thirty minutes earlier for a planned 27-day trip that was destined for Sri Lanka, according to the Vessel Finder portal. that tracks maritime traffic.
After the collision, the ship caught fire, according to fire and police sources.
However, none of its crew members have fallen into the water, according to the New York Times, which assures that those responsible are actively collaborating with the authorities to clarify what happened.
As soon as the event was known, the city’s mayor, Brandon Scott, reported in X that he was on his way to the scene of the accident, as were the emergency teams.
The metal bridge, which opened in 1977, is 1.6 miles long (2.5 kilometers) and spans both banks of the Patapsco River.
It is part of Maryland’s Interstate 695, which surrounds Baltimore and has been closed after the accident.
BY: TTU
