In one of the ultimate nightmares, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, an iconic lifeline for Baltimore’s bustling metropolis, was ripped apart in a thunderous clash with a colossal container ship, unleashing chaos in and around Charm City and tragedy for at least seven families.
When the ship, known as the Dali, hit the support column, the once-sturdy structure crumbled beneath the vessel’s onslaught, sending people and vehicles plummeting into the icy depths of the Patapsco River at about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Officials immediately declared that they didn’t suspect terrorism or any sabotage.
Emergency crews raced against time, battling the elements to rescue survivors trapped in the wreckage.
At 8:30 a.m., two individuals were reportedly rescued while the search intensified. One of the victims reportedly suffered critical injuries.
“We’re facing an unprecedented crisis,” declared Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace, his voice heavy with emotion. “Our priority remains the search and rescue efforts to locate those still missing.”
Gov. Wes Moore wasted no time declaring a state of emergency and mobilizing resources and support from across the nation.
“We stand united in the face of tragedy,” Moore proclaimed.
Bridge Was ‘Up to Code’ — But Code May Not Be Up to Date
Maria Lehman, U.S. infrastructure lead at the global engineering company GHD, said footage of the Key Bridge’s collapse felt eerily familiar. In 1980, a freighter hit the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa Bay, Florida, causing a section of the bridge to collapse and killing 35 people.
“I had flashbacks,” Lehman said. “The visual was so similar to the visual of Tampa Bay, because it was the same type of structure and it went down the same way… I mean, that was the beginning of my career, I was still in college. But they’re haunting images. They burn into your head.”
After the Tampa Bay disaster, Lehman said, engineers adopted new standards for “pier protection.” That typically involves artificial islands or other barriers in the water around the piers holding up a bridge.
Lehman said ships have gotten far bigger and heavier than they were when those standards were created. Some pier protection barriers may simply not be large or strong enough to stop a freighter like the Dali.
“These [ships] — they’re monsters. I mean, they’re skyscrapers,” Lehman said.
The Key Bridge, built in 1977, has pier protection barriers, known as “dolphins.” But some experts looking at the footage said that the ship may have slipped between the protective objects because it came in at an angle, the Washington Post reported.
Moore said during Tuesday morning’s press conference that the structure was “fully up to code.” But experts say no bridge’s piers could withstand a collision with a ship as big as the Dali.
‘It Fell So Fast‘
The collision, captured on video, sent shockwaves nationwide, prompting an outpouring of support and solidarity. Helicopters buzzed overhead, casting their searchlights upon the river’s surface as rescuers scoured the waters for signs of life.
When Kirk Roberts, a retired truck driver in Baltimore County, heard about the bridge collapse, he contacted his brothers and sisters in a group message and said “Prayers going out.”
“I used to drive dump trucks and my last tractor-trailer job was in Dundalk,” Roberts, 60, told The Informer. “I have a lot of friends who drive trucks. We used to have to bring cargo out of Pier 5.”
He remembered often driving the Key Bridge at night.
“We were constantly crossing that bridge,” Roberts said, before considering the unsettling and tragic footage of the bridge collapse.
“It fell so fast it was like one-1,000 and it just crumbled,” he said. “There are a lot of people who work in the area and depend on that bridge and the shipping in the area.”
This story is developing and will be updated.
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