Baltimore bridge collapse: Insight on the incident

Report by Rita Khoury, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

In a dramatic incident early on Tuesday in Baltimore, Maryland, a portion of the central Francis Scott Key Bridge partially collapsed, as depicted in a video circulating on social media.

A witness recounted, "We were awakened by what sounded like rolling thunder coming through, and it felt like an earthquake. When the bridge came down, it crashed into the water and made quite a noise."

The collapse of the bridge, along with a large section of its metal structure, into the river was caused by a collision with a container ship named "Dali," with the flag of Singapore, striking one of its pillars. This resulted in multiple injuries and several cars falling into the water, prompting search efforts by drones, helicopters, and divers.

The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, stated, "We are still investigating what happened. But we are quickly gathering details. The preliminary investigation points to an accident. We haven't seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack."

The incident has led to the suspension of maritime navigation at the port, one of the busiest ports in the United States, until further notice.

Maryland's Transportation Secretary, Paul Wiedefeld, commented, "Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice, but the port is still open for truck transactions."

The completion of the investigation to determine how an impact could cause multiple arches of the metal bridge to collapse is pending, and engineering experts are being consulted regarding the incident.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, consisting of four lanes and stretching 2.6 kilometers southwest of Baltimore, is a vital artery for transportation and the economy, connecting the north and south of the eastern coast of the United States.

This incident is described as the worst of its kind since 2007, when a bridge collapsed in Minneapolis into the river during rush hour, resulting in the deaths of 13 people.