WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed after it was struck by the Dali container ship early Tuesday morning in the Baltimore harbor. State, federal and local officials have sped to the area.
The I-695 highway that the bridge carried, also known as the Baltimore Beltway, is a major transportation artery for the United States’ heavily populated Eastern Seaboard. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge when it was struck.
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR SHAILEN BHATT “Travelers advised to avoid the area and use alternative routes…Terrible tragedy in Baltimore this morning.”
LARS JENSEN, CONTAINER SHIP EXPERT
The bridge collapse “will create significant problems on the U.S. East Coast for U.S. importers and exporters.”
MAERSK, DANISH COMPANY THAT CHARTERED THE DALI
“We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected.
“We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed.”
MARYLAND GOVERNOR WES MOORE
“I have declared a State of Emergency here in Maryland and we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden administration.”
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
“Coast Guard watchstanders received a report into the Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region command center at 1:27 a.m. reporting a 948-foot Singapore-flagged containership collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Additionally, it was reported that the bridge collapsed and there were reports of persons in the water…An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast is issued regarding the incident and there has been a 2000-yard safety zone issued for the surrounding waters. Mariners are urged to avoid the area.”
THE WHITE HOUSE
“Our hearts go out to the families of those who remain missing as a result of this horrific incident…Senior White House officials are in touch with the Governor and Mayor to offer any federal assistance they need.
“There is no indication of any nefarious intent.”
BALTIMORE POLICE COMMISSIONER RICHARD WORLEY
“There is absolutely no indication that this is terrorism, that this was done on purpose.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Andy Sullivan in Baltimore, Louise Rasmussen in Copenhagen and Terje Solsvik in Oslo. Editing by Heather Timmons and Nick Macfie)
