‘Mass Casualty Event’ As Baltimore’s Key Bridge Collapses Into River

Over a dozen individuals are believed to be missing after falling into the Patapsco River in Baltimore early Tuesday morning when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after it was struck by a cargo ship.

The incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. local time when a cargo ship called the Dali crashed into the structure. Footage of the incident showcases a significant section of the bridge, a vital artery spanning 1.6 miles, giving way and collapsing into the river.

Griff Jenkins reported on Fox & Friends thtat a “Singapore-flagged cargo ship hitone of the major beams and collapsed that entire span.The video just stunning.And we are learning this isbeing treated as a mass casualty event and there are rescue teams in the water.”

Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson Kevin Cartwright said that emergency services are dealing with a “developing mass casualty event” as teams launched an extensive search for at least seven missing persons believed to have fallen into the waters below, reported to be between 48 – 50 °F. The complexity of the rescue operation is intensified by debris and cargo obstructions.

Ownership of the Singapore-flagged Dali, which was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka, falls under Synergy Marine Group, which confirmed all crew members were safe and unharmed.

The collapse has prompted a complete closure of Interstate 695 lanes across the bridge.

Watch above via Fox News.

This story is breaking.