Here's what we know about the Baltimore bridge collapse

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early on Tuesday after a container ship smashed into a pylon, sending eight people into frigid water below.

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early on Tuesday after a container ship smashed into a pylon, sending eight people into frigid water below. Authorities stopped people from using the bridge after getting a mayday call, which Maryland's governor said saved lives.

At 1:27 a.m. ET (0527 GMT), a container ship named the Dali was sailing down the Patapsco River when it struck a pylon of the bridge, crumpling almost the entire structure into the water. The vessel's crew notified authorities of a power issue before the crash, Maryland Governor Wes Moore said. The bridge was up to code and there were no known structural issues, he said.

There was no indication of terrorism, police said.

The metal truss-style bridge has a suspended deck, a design that contributed to its total collapse, engineers say. The ship appeared to hit a main concrete pier, which rests on soil underwater and is part of the foundation.

A construction crew was fixing potholes on the bridge and eight people fell 185 feet (56 metres) into the river where water temperatures were 47 F (8 C).

According to research for the Federal Aviation Administration, that is the upper limit of what a human could survive falling into water.

Two people were rescued, one unharmed and one critically injured. Six people remain missing.