Photo: Getty Images
UPDATE:
At least six people are still believed to be missing in relation to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore as of Tuesday (March 26) afternoon, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore confirmed while declaring a state of emergency via NBC News.
--
A major bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a container ship Tuesday (March 26) morning, which led to several vehicles plunging into the water, NBC News reports.
The ship collided with a pillar supporting the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River. An undetermined number of workers were on the bridge when the collision took place and emergency responders confirmed that two people were rescued from the water and at least seven others were reported missing as of Tuesday morning.
One person rescued was reported to be in good condition and refused treatment while the other was seriously injured and transported to a local trauma center, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace confirmed during a news conference via NBC News. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency in relation to the incident and planned to deploy federal resources at the scene.
Video footage from the scene showed smoke billowing from the ship as the bridge and road crashed into the Patapsco River.
Cars and trucks were present on the bridge just before the collision occurred and underwater drones, as well as sonar and infrared surveillance tools used at the scene confirmed that several cars had crashed into the river, according to Wallace, who noted that the number of people missing and vehicles on the bridge was undetermined. The ship didn't sink following the crash as its lights remained on.
Authorities also plan to use helicopters to survey the scene from the air Tuesday morning.
"We are still very much in an active search and rescue posture at this point," Wallace said via NBC News.