China News Service, Beijing, March 26 (Xinhua) According to comprehensive US media reports, in the early morning of the 26th local time, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, broke and collapsed due to the impact of a cargo ship. Cars on the bridge fell into the river. As many as 20 people fell into the water.
According to the video released by the media, the cargo ship seemed to have hit the supporting piers under the bridge, causing the bridge deck to quickly collapse into the water. Traffic has been blocked locally.
Baltimore Fire Department official Kevin Cartwright said that relevant agencies received a call at about 1:30 a.m. that day, saying that a ship leaving Baltimore had hit a bridge pillar and that several vehicles were traveling on the bridge at the time. . Cartwright said he understood that as many as 20 people and multiple vehicles may have fallen into the water. He described the accident as a "mass casualty event in progress."
CNN stated that search and rescue faced difficulties due to low temperatures and low visibility at the accident site.
Baltimore Mayor Scott posted on social platforms around 3 a.m. that day that he was on his way to the scene of the accident. Emergency crews are working at the scene.
It is reported that the bridge spans the Patapsco River, is 1.6 miles (approximately 2.57 kilometers) long, has 4 lanes, and is an important link for Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway). It was put into use in 1977 . The bridge is named after Francis Scott Key, the lyricist of the U.S. national anthem. (over)