Photos: Baltimore Key Bridge collapses as cargo ship ploughs into pylon
Al Jazeera
A container ship has rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below.
Several vehicles fell into the chilly waters of the Patapsco River early on Tuesday, and rescuers searched for survivors.
It was not clear what caused the cargo ship to crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge long before the busy morning commute in the United States city close to Washington, DC.
Two people were rescued, and it was not clear how many more might be in the waters of the busy harbour near a key port.
The ship crashed into one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to snap and buckle at several points and tumble into the water in a matter of seconds — a shocking spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media. The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.