Major US Bridge Collapses As Cargo Ship Plows Into Pylon

Baltimore, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2024) A major bridge collapsed in Baltimore on Tuesday, blocking one of the busiest US commercial harbors, after a heavily laden cargo ship lost power and smashed into a support column despite desperate attempts to stop in time.

Six people -- all members of a nighttime construction crew repairing potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge -- were missing, officials said.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said Monday afternoon the scene was "still very much an active search and rescue mission," nearly 15 hours after the 1:30 am (0530 GMT) disaster.

"There's not a single resource that we will hold off on deploying," he told reporters.

Moore said that quick thinking by authorities once the ship issued a Mayday call allowed them to stop vehicles from driving onto the bridge.

"We're thankful that between the Mayday and the collapse that we had officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic," Moore said. "These people are heroes. They saved lives last night."

The steel structure, which was opened in 1977, seemed to collapse like a deck of cards, with video footage showing the packed container ship slam into one of the bridge supports instead of passing safely under.

The number of casualties was still unclear, with divers and other specialist rescue teams combing the frigid waters of the Patapsco River that lead into the bustling industrial harbor just north of the capital Washington.

In addition to the six missing construction workers, two others from the same team were rescued, with one of them severely injured.