Bridge accident in Baltimore, USA, puts Maryland in a state of emergency; see photos

Marylandus U.Sentered a state of emergency this Tuesday, 26th, after a bridge in Baltimore collapse and leave at least seven people missing in the river. Governor Wes Moore said he was working to mobilize federal resources, and the FBI was called to the scene.

A White House is monitoring the incident, an official told the Washington Post, who added that there is no sign of any malicious intent. United States Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg posted on X that he has offered his agency’s support as rescue efforts are underway.

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Maritime traffic has been “suspended until further notice” in the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest in the United States, after the collapse of the bridge, Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation announced. “Vessel traffic entering and leaving the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice. The port remains open to truck traffic,” Secretary Paul Wiedefeld told reporters.

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A container ship flying the flag of Singapore, operated by Synergy Marine Group, collided with the bridge in Baltimore around 1:30 am (local time, 2:30 am in Brasília), hitting one of the pillars and causing the structure to break and bend in several places, falling into the water in a matter of seconds. It is still unclear what caused the collision.

According to authorities, there are cars in the water, where the temperature was around 8ºC in the early hours of Tuesday. Two people were rescued, one in serious condition, according to Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace. He said authorities “may be looking for more than seven people,” but said that number could change.

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Kevin Cartwright, communications director for the Baltimore Fire Department, told the Associated Press that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. The bridge collapsed in the middle of the night, when traffic would be less intense than during the day, when thousands of cars cross the span. He called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event.”

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A helicopter and three Coast Guard boats are searching the Patapsco River this Tuesday. Authorities confirmed at a news conference that federal, state and city agents are participating in the operation to deal with what Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described as a “tragedy.”

Wiedefeld, Maryland’s Secretary of Transportation, told the press that the low temperature of the water, its depth of about 15 meters, and the darkness at the time of the incident made the work difficult./Associated Press, EFE and Washington Post.