Updated to include a fundraiser for the families of those affected by the collapse.
911 calls came in at approximately 1:30am reporting that a ship collided with a column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the bridge to collapse. A GoFundMe has been started to support the families of those affected by the collapse.
Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press around 3am that emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water.
At 3:07am Baltimore mayor Brandon M. Scott communicated that he is “aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge. I have been in contact with @BaltimoreFire Chief Wallace, @GovWesMoore @JohnnyOJr, and @AACoExec. Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway.”
At 3:20am, the Maryland Transportation Authority tweeted the following: “MAJOR BALTIMORE TRAFFIC ALERT: AVOID I-695 southeast corridor. I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike. Active scene. Use I-95 or I-895.”
“Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people,” Cartwright said. He said it’s too early to know how many people were affected but called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”
Cartwright said it appears there are “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge,” creating unsafe and unstable conditions, and that emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
“This is a dire emergency,” he said.