A bridge in Baltimore collapsed after a container ship collided

A major bridge in Baltimore collapsed Tuesday after being struck by a large container ship.

Six persons are missing after a collision on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in keeping with Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland’s secretary of transportation. Two people were saved, one was transported to a trauma center in serious condition. The missing people could have fallen into the water.

Roland L. Butler Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police, said at a news conference late Tuesday that the search and rescue effort was evolving into a search and rescue mission. Butler said divers would return to the location at 6 a.m

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice chairman of construction company Brawner Builders, told NBC News on Tuesday evening that six employees were presumed dead. Pritzker said one person survived, but the corporate didn’t immediately release names.

The bridge carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River, southeast of the Baltimore metropolitan area.

According to Wiedefeld, the DALI ship struck the bridge around 1:30 a.m. ET while contractors were working on the bridge. The missing persons are believed to be a construction crew who were repairing holes in the bridge.

According to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, the ship’s crew made a Mayday call just before the disaster, which resulted in cars being unable to access the bridge.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives.”

Wiedefeld said vessel traffic to and from the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice.

“This is a very large incident, covering a very large footprint,” Baltimore City Fire Chief James W. Wallace said at a news conference.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collapse and a team of greater than 20 people is on the scene, in keeping with NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. The agency is unable to confirm the number and standing of the crew on the ship or the variety of victims of the collision.

“The NTSB doesn’t speculate. We are presenting the facts, so we will not say much without delay because our focus is on the people,” Homendy said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

Asked if there were any vehicles present when the bridge collapsed, Moore said, “the investigation continues to be ongoing.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the Port of Baltimore is handling the most vehicles of any port, which will have a “serious and long-lasting” impact on supply chains.

“This is not an ordinary bridge,” he said at a press conference. “This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure. It has been part of the landscape of this region for longer than many of us have been alive. The path to normality will not be easy. It won’t be quick and it won’t be cheap, but we will rebuild together.”

Maryland and FBI officials said there was no information to suggest the collapse was the result of terrorism.

“The initial investigation indicates that it was an accident,” Moore said. “We have not seen any credible evidence of a terrorist attack.”

Completed in 1977, the bridge was named after Francis Scott Key, whose poem became the basis for the United States national anthem.

According to Wiedefeld, about 35,000 people use the bridge every day. Drivers in the area will have to use the busier Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels to pass through the port for the foreseeable future.

Moore said search and rescue is the priority right now, but rebuilding the bridge will be a long-term project.

“We’re going to make sure that not only does it get rebuilt, but that we rebuild it in a way that remembers the people that were impacted by this tragedy,” Moore said.

President Joe Biden said in Tuesday afternoon remarks that he intends for the federal government to cover the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge and that he expects Congress to support his efforts.

“I have directed my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as quickly as possible,” Biden said.

The vessel that collided with the bridge was identified by the U.S. Coast Guard as a 300-meter-long Singapore-flagged container ship chartered by Maersk.

There were no Maersk crew or staff on board the ship, according to the company. Shipping information indicates that the vessel is under the management of Synergy Marine Group, which – wrote in the statement that all 22 crew members on board were accounted for, including the two pilots.

“Although the exact cause of the incident has not yet been determined, including: [ship] has now launched a qualified individual incident response service,” the group said. “The U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities have been notified, and the owners and managers are fully cooperating with federal and state government agencies on the approved plan.”

Maritime traffic data suggests that the ship was headed to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Maryland governor’s office said emergency personnel remained at the scene after the bridge collapsed.

“I have declared a state of emergency in Maryland and we are working with an interagency team to quickly make federal resources available to the Biden administration,” Moore said.

“We will remain in close contact with federal, state and local entities conducting emergency response efforts as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy.”