They rescue two people from the water and search for seven others after the collapse of a bridge in Baltimore – Publimetro México

BALTIMORE (AP) — An important Baltimore bridge broke and collapsed following a container ship crashed into the infrastructure in the early hours of Tuesday, and several cars fell into the river.

The rescuers, who were searching for several people in the water, They rescued at least two, one of them in serious condition.

Probing images indicate that there are several cars at the bottom of the river and authorities said they are searching for seven people in frigid waters. The temperature in the river was regarding eight degrees Celsius (47 degrees Fahrenheit) early Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Emergency agencies received calls around 1:30 a.m. that a boat leaving Baltimore had hit one of the bridge’s columns, Cartwright said. At the time, there were several vehicles on the bridge, including one the size of a tractor-trailer.

Why did the freighter hit the bridge in Baltimore?

The boat hit one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which caused the roadway to split in several places and fall into the water, according to a video published on X, formerly Twitter. The ship caught fire, generating thick black smoke.

Anyway, The ship did not sink and remains afloat along with the remains of the bridge. As of this hour, the crew is on the boat and the authorities have not come on board.

“This is a serious emergency,” Kevin Cartwright, communications director for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press. “Right now, our goal is to try to rescue and recover those people.”

The bridge spanning the Patapsco River, a vital artery that, along with the Port of Baltimore, It is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. Opened in 1977, it was named in honor of the author of the United States anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

From near the entrance to the bridge Remains of the steel structure might be seen protruding from the water, and the access ramp ended abruptly where the bridge began.

The ship that hit the bridge has the Singapore flag

The boat is called “Dalí,” Cartwright said. A merchant with that name It was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, as the last destination, according to the maritime traffic monitoring websites Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder. The cargo ship was sailing under the Singapore flag, radio station WTOP reported, citing Matthew West, a Coast Guard petty officer in Baltimore.

In 2001, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in a tunnel in downtown Baltimore and caught fire, dumping black smoke over nearby neighborhoods and forcing authorities to temporarily close all main accesses to the city.

News in development…