The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday morning after it was struck by a large ship, according to video obtained by CNN.
It is unclear if anyone was injured.
Maryland Transportation Authority (MTA) says all traffic is being detoured.
CNN has reached out to Baltimore City Fire Department for additional information.
The 1.6-mile, four-lane bridge extends over the Patapsco River and serves as the outermost crossing of the Baltimore harbor and an essential link of Interstate-695, or the Baltimore Beltway.
Available footage shows a towering boat headed directly toward one of the bridge’s support columns before colliding with it, sending a massive stretch of the bridge crashing into the water below in mere seconds.
The crash sent large plumes of smoke and fire into the air and part of the bridge appeared to collapse over the front of the boat, the footage showed.
Dark smoke continued to rise into the air for several minutes.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott says he is “aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge.”
The 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge extends over the Patapsco River into the Port of Baltimore, according to the Maryland Transport Authority (MTA).
The bridge, which opened in 1977, is named after the author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the MTA says on its website. Francis Scott Key is believed to have sat near the site of the bridge as he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814, inspiring him to write the words of the US national anthem.
The Port of Baltimore handled more than 52 million tons of international cargo worth over $80 billion last year — the ninth-highest total among US ports, according to the Maryland government’s website.
The port supports 15,330 direct jobs and 139,180 jobs in Maryland, according to the site.
Rescue crews are searching for at least seven people in the Patapsco River after multiple vehicles fell into the water when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed overnight, a Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson told the Associated Press.
Local agencies received 911 calls at around 1:30 a.m. ET reporting that a ship, traveling outbound from Baltimore, had struck a column on the bridge, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department told AP.
“This is a dire emergency,” he said.
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright told the outlet.
The official called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
Cartwright said it appeared there are “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge,” making conditions unsafe and unstable for emergency responders operating at the scene.
CNN has reached out to Baltimore City Fire Department, Maryland Department of Transportation and US Coast Guard for additional information.
Source: CNN