Baltimore Bridge Collapse Update as White House Speaks Out

The White House is closely monitoring the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, according to reports.

A container ship struck the bridge at around 1:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday, causing it to snap in several places and fall into the Patapsco River below, bringing several vehicles with it. A rescue effort is currently underway.

Senior White House officials are in touch with Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott "to offer any federal assistance they need," CNN reporter Betsy Klein wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said two people were pulled from the waters under the bridge, one in serious condition, the Associated Press reported.

Wallace said authorities "may be looking for upwards of seven people" but that the number could change.

Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told the AP that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck.

Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Baltimore Fire Department for comment via email.

Moore has declared a state of emergency and said he was working to get federal resources deployed.

"We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone's safety," Moore said in a statement.

"We will remain in close contact with federal, state, and local entities that are carrying out rescue efforts as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy."

Scott called the collapse an "unthinkable tragedy," and urged people to pray for all those who are impacted.

"Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that," he told reporters. "It looked like something out of an action movie."

The cargo ship appeared to have crashed into one of the bridge's supports before catching on fire, according to a video posted on X.

Synergy Marine Group, which manages the ship Dali, confirmed that the vessel hit a pillar of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. while two pilots were in control. Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder. The ship was flying under a Singapore flag.

In a statement, Synergy Marine Group said all crew members, including the pilots, were accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.

It added that the cause of the crash remains to be determined, but the owners and managers of the ship are "fully cooperating with Federal and State government agencies under an approved plan."

The bridge opened in 1977 and is named for the writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Update 3/26/24, 8:06 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.