WATCH: Mass casualties feared as Francis Scott Bridge in Baltimore collapses in concerning viral video

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore reportedly collapsed on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, after being struck by a large container ship. In a press release, the Baltimore City Fire Department said the incident reportedly occurred just before 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

The fire department said authorities responded to reports of a mass casualty incident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge after a cargo ship struck the bridge’s central supports, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River.

In a press conference on Tuesday, authorities said they were searching for at least 20 people after vehicles went into the water when the bridge collapsed into the river. In the press conference Kevin Cartwright, the director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, described the incident as a “developing mass casualty event,” and it was too early to know how many people were affected by the collision.

Video footage of the incident shared by Raws Alerts on X showed the moment the ship collided with one of the pillars of the bridge, resulting in the bridge breaking into pieces before falling into the river.

The video also showed the ship seemingly catching fire after the part of the bridge collapsed into the structure.

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The container ship was heading to Sri Lanka when it collided with the Baltimore Bridge

Reuters, citing the ship tracking data from LSEG, reported a Singapore-flagged container ship, the Dali, en route to Sri Lanka, struck the central pillar of the 1.6-mile bridge, causing it to collapse and vehicles to plunge into the river early Tuesday morning.

Matthew West, a petty officer first class for the Coast Guard in Baltimore, told the New York Times that the officials received reports of a collision around 1.30 am.

Reuters, citing sources, reported the vessel’s crew members, including the two pilots, were accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries as authorities continued to look for people who reportedly went into the water as multiple vehicles plunged into the river.

In the press conference Tuesday, Kevin Cartwright said several vehicles were at the bridge at the time of the collapse and they are scrambling to recover the people who went into the river. Cartwright added:

“This is a dire emergency. Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.”

At this time, the circumstances surrounding the collision remain unknown. Meanwhile in a post on X Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced a state of emergency and said he has requested federal help.