Parts of the Francis Scott K Bridge were completely destroyed (Reuters)
Video clips - published on social media platforms - showed the collapse of parts of a huge bridge in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, on the east coast of America, early today, Tuesday, after a large ship collided with it.
Video footage published on the "X" platform showed the ship colliding with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott K Bridge, causing complete destruction of parts of it. The Associated Press reported that the ship caught fire and said that it appeared to be on the verge of sinking.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
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On the other hand, the New York Times confirmed that the extent of the damage to the bridge, which was opened in 1977 and is 3 kilometers long, is not yet clear.
CBS News also quoted the Baltimore City Fire Department as saying that there were "at least 7 people" who were in the river at the time of the accident, and that diving and rescue teams moved to the scene in search of them.
The ship monitoring website "Marine Traffic" showed a container ship flying the Singapore flag and bearing the name "Dali" parked under the bridge, early today.
It is not clear how many vehicles were on the bridge at the time, but fire officials said it was "certainly a large tractor trailer" that was on top of it.
The state transportation authority said that all navigation lines were closed in both directions due to the accident, confirming a change in traffic routes.
Source: Agencies