Overview:
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed into the water after being struck by a ship. Emergency personnel responded to the scene, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency.
By AFRO Staff
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) has issued an alert on Facebook and other social media platforms warning drivers to “avoid I-695 southeast corridor” as a portion of the I-695 Francis Scott Key Bridge suffered a “collapse due to ship strike.”
The I-95 and I-895 tunnels are alternative routes to the Key Bridge.
Videos showing the scene immediately began to make rounds on social media. A ship can be seen striking a pillar of the bridge, causing a major portion of it to fall into the Baltimore Harbor in the early morning of March 26.
Emergency personnel have responded, as multiple cars can be seen actively using the bridge for travel at the moment it collapsed.
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski commented on the incident via social media.
“We are closely monitoring the ongoing situation at the Key Bridge,” said Olszewski to his followers on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“I remain in contact with our emergency response team as well as state and local partners,” he said. “Response efforts are ongoing. Our prayers remain with all those impacted.”
According to information released by MDTA, the Key Bridge opened in 1977 and was “the third longest continuous truss bridge in the world. With the main span stretching 1,200 feet.”
Later in the morning, Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency due to the collapse.
“My office is in close communication with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, and the Baltimore Fire Department as emergency personnel are on the scene following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” said Gov. Wes Moore in a statement. “I have declared a State of Emergency here in Maryland and we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration.”
Moore continued, “We will remain in close contact with federal, state, and local entities that are conducting rescue efforts as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy.”
Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman spoke out on the incident.
“It is truly horrific to see reports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse early this morning. I am praying for and thinking of all those people who were traveling on the bridge, as well as the crew of the cargo ship involved and their families,” said Lierman in a statement. “I am so grateful for the efforts of first responders from around the state assisting with the ongoing search for victims and survivors. I ask Marylanders to be alert as they make their way around the area today.”