Maryland governor vows to deploy all resources as search continues for six missing people after Baltimore bridge collapse – as it happened

Wes Moore: quick action to stop additional cars going over bridge saved lives

Asked by reporters if there had been any vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed, Maryland governor Wes Moore said that was still under investigation.

But he said that “the quick work” of public and law enforcement officials to keep additional vehicles from driving onto the bridge as the collision unfolded “undoubtedly saved innumerable lives”.

There will be ‘major and protracted impact to supply chains’, says Buttigieg.

This is Lois Beckett, picking up our live coverage from Los Angeles.

At this afternoon’s press conference, transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters that the bridge collapse would have a national impact, because of the amount of cargo that comes through Baltimore’s port.

“There is no question that this will be a major and protracted impact to supply chains,” Buttigieg said. “It’s too soon to offer estimates on what it will take to clear the channel and reopen the port.”

Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, called Key Bridge one of the “cathedrals of American infrastructure”, during remarks at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.

“This is no ordinary bridge. This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure … so the path to normalcy will not be easy. It will not be quick. It will not be inexpensive, but we will rebuild together.”

Buttigieg added that government officials will need to “render all of the support that is needed at the federal level”.

“The federal government will provide all of the support that [is needed] for as long as it takes,” he added.

A body has reportedly been recovered from the water as search and rescue efforts are ongoing following the Key Bridge collapse, CNN reported.

Phylicia Porter, a Baltimore city councilmember, told the network that she had heard a body was pulled from the water.

“We are hearing one body was found,” she said.

The US Coast Guard, which has been leading search efforts, has not confirmed that report.

Homendy added that investigators are still working to verify if the ship lost power shortly before crashing with the Key Bridge.

On those reports, Homendy said:

We’ve heard the reports. We have been made aware of those same reports about there being a power outage. I’ve also seen statements, media releases from Singapore as well. It’s something that we take in, but something that we have to verify through our investigation that that was what was part of the contributing cause here. So too early to tell.

The NTSB will be “standing back” for the time being to allow the coastguard to continue its search and rescue.

“We chose not to board the vessel today to allow some time for the search and recovery which we did not want to interfere with,” Homendy said.

“That is first and foremost,” she said.

Homendy added that the NTSB has gathered some additional information on the accident that needs to be verified first before publication.

The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, is speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One now, on the way to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Joe Biden and the vice-president, Kamala Harris, are holding a joint event there to talk about healthcare.

Reporters are firing off their questions now. Jean-Pierre is confirming the US president’s position is he will “move heaven and earth” to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge.

She’s being asked about the state of US infrastructure but emphasizes that although the government pledges to work with Congress for funding to rebuild the bridge, the search and rescue effort that’s still under way in Baltimore is the main focus.

The person who was hospitalized following the Key Bridge collapse has been released, according to a hospital press release.

Officials with the University of Maryland medical center are expected to have a virtual press briefing at 2.30pm ET about the incident.

Here is the full statement from the hospital:

The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center received one patient from the incident. The patient has been discharged.

Authorities attempted to clear the Key Bridge before the cargo ship crashed into it on Tuesday morning, according to radio transmissions before the crash, CNN reported.

Officials communicated via radio that the ship had “lost [its] steering” and was quickly approaching the bridge. They then worked to stop traffic.

“I need one of you guys on the south side, one of you guys on the north side, hold all traffic on the Key Bridge. There’s a ship approaching that just lost their steering so until we get that under control, we’ve got to stop all traffic,” a person said via radio.

As the bridge collapsed, another person said: “The whole bridge just fell down. Start, start whoever … everybody. The whole bridge just collapsed…”

Biden said he is going to have the federal government pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge.

“We’re not leaving until this job is done,” Biden said.

Biden added that he plans to travel to Baltimore “as quickly as I can,” though did not share details about when.

When asked about if the ship’s company should cover costs of repair, Biden said he is not going to “wait for that to happen”.

Joe Biden is currently speaking on the Key Bridge accident.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Biden shared a statement on the bridge collapse, according to a social media post.

Biden said that he met with senior members of his team and was briefed about the bridge collapse, in a post to X.

This morning, I convened senior members of my team for a briefing on the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.

I’ve directed my Administration to ensure every federal resource is available to assist search and rescue efforts and response to this terrible incident.

Biden is expected to speak soon about the Key Bride collapse, with remarks scheduled to start at 12.30 pm ET.

Stay turned for further updates!

The same vessel that hit the Baltimore Key Bridge on Tuesday, destroying it and sending people and vehicles tumbling into the water, was involved in a collision while leaving the port of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016.

According to Vessel Finder the weather was fine at the time, and the incident was reportedly blamed on the ship’s master and pilot onboard.

Our video team have this video report:

In the immediate aftermath of the bridge collapse, far-right influencers have already begun questioning whether the accident was intentional or part of a nefarious plot.

Authorities so far have said the crash appears to be an accident – the FBI has said there is “no specific and credible information to suggest any ties to terrorism at this time” while the homeland security secretary said “there are no indications this was an intentional act.” A report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said the ship was in contact with transportation authorities before the collision because it had “lost propulsion.”

The theories spreading so far aren’t unified under a particular narrative, but more fall into “just asking questions” speculation territory. Mike Flynn, the former national security adviser to Donald Trump and frequent sharer of conspiracy theories, posted on X along these lines, calling the collision a “BLACK SWAN event,” a type of unforeseeable event that causes major upheaval. Lara Logan, the media personality who often spreads these kinds of rumors, made claims of a cyber attack without evidence, saying on X that “they are going to have a hard time selling this one as an accident to those who know how these things are done.”

The move into speculation and rumors right after a tragedy is now a hallmark of the internet, where this quick misinformation rockets around online well before investigations into the facts have time to catch up. It becomes especially acute during election years, when unrelated events get tied up into political and electoral narratives.

Former US Rep. Denver Riggleman summarized the spread of these rumors on X: “Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.—Tragic. Accident. Sad. Now, let’s endure the inevitable fever-dream conspiracy theories & speculative shite pushed by the ‘Ball of string & whiteboard’ crowd. Lots of QAnon’ers and alien abduction folks firing up the forums.”

Here are some images showing the aftermath of the Key Bridge collapse that happened early Tuesday.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was up to code before the bridge collapse, Moore added.

Moore confirmed that the bridge was “fully up to code” prior to Tuesday’s accident. Moore added that rebuilding the bridge will be a long-term effort.

Reuters has corrected an earlier report that one person has died in the hospital following the Key Bridge collapse.

Reuters previously reported that a person died following the accident.

That claim has since been corrected. One person is currently in the hospital.

Another person who was rescued is not in the hospital, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary, Reuters reported.

A press conference is now underway following the Key Bridge collapse.

Maryland governor Wes Moore gave remarks early in the conference.

Moore said that response teams are still working to rescue people who may have fallen into the water after the bridge collapse.

He added that the preliminary investigation suggests that the bridge collision was an accident.

“In the face of heart break, we come together. We embrace one another and we come back stronger. That’s what we’ve always done…and that’s what we’re going to get done together. And we’re going to pray for Baltimore,” Moore said.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Brandon M Scott, the mayor of Baltimore, has declared a local state of emergency following the Key Bridge collapse, according to a statement on social media.

In a post to X, Scott said he is “officially declaring a local state of emergency in response to the collapse of our Key Bridge.”

“Our teams are mobilizing resources and working swiftly to address this crisis and ensure the safety and well-being of our community,” Scott added.

Here is the full declaration:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Baltimore said that the Key Bridge collapse is not a result of terrorism, according to a statement on social media.

The FBI’s Baltimore division said there is “no specific and credible information to suggest any ties to terrorism at this time”, in a post made to X.

The office added that an investigation is still ongoing.

Baltimore’s mayor, Brandon M Scott, is still at the site of the Key Bridge collapse, according to a a new statement posted to social media.

Scott via X/Twitter:

We remain on site managing the Key Bridge Collapse incident, especially the ongoing search & rescue effort.

This is a multi-jurisdiction, multi-agency effort with federal, state, and local resources mobilizing.

We will continue to make updates throughout the day.

The cargo ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge also crashed in a separate case in 2016.

The Dali cargo ship was involved in a collision at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium. It was headed to Bremerhaven.

Maersk, the company that chartered the container ship, released a statement on Tuesday following the Baltimore accident:

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.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is restricting aircraft from flying over the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse due to ongoing rescue efforts.

From the FAA via X:

Drone pilots: The FAA has flight restrictions in place around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Do not interfere with rescue operations. If you fly, emergency response operations cannot.

An unclassified Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency report said the container ship Dali “lost propulsion” as it was leaving port and warned Maryland officials of a possible collision, ABC reported.

“The vessel notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had lost control of the vessel and an allision [a ship collision] with the bridge was possible,” the report said.

Maryland’s governor, Wes Moore, is at the site of the incident in Baltimore.

Officials both in Baltimore and Washington have underscored that they do not believe the incident is terrorism-related.

“There is no indication of any nefarious intent,” the White House said.

Here are the latest images from Baltimore.

Baltimore port traffic is suspended until further notice, Reuters reported citing Maryland transportation authorities.

In a statement, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirmed that the vessel involved in the Baltimore incident was registered in Singapore and said the agency was coordinating with the US Coast Guard and the ship’s management company to help.

It also said it would investigate the incident itself.

There were 22 crew onboard at the time of the incident, Singapore said.

Andrew Barr, an expert in civil and structural engineering at the University of Sheffield, said that “the video doesn’t show any obvious structural deficiencies with the bridge, but it will not have been designed to survive a head-on collision with such a large vessel”.

He added:

Bridges in shipping lanes are sometimes designed with strong, stout piers, or additional protective structures around the piers to prevent ships from coming into contact with the bridge structure.

It doesn’t appear that the Key Bridge had either of these features, although it is also very likely that the size and design of the vessels passing under the bridge has changed considerably since it was completed in 1977.

The vessel which collided with the bridge in Baltimore was also involved in a collision in 2016 in Antwerp, Belgium, according to Vessel Finder and the maritime incident archive Shipwrecklog.

Its bow reportedly scraped the side of the quay while it was leaving port, significantly damaging several meters of the hull, and it was reportedly detained by authorities afterward.

According to Vessel Finder, the weather was fine at the time and the incident was blamed on the ship’s master and pilot on board. There were reportedly no injuries.

At least 10 commercial ships headed to Baltimore port have dropped anchor in waters nearby, Reuters reported citing ship tracking data.

The White House says it is “closely monitoring” the situation in Baltimore and its “hearts go out” to the families of those who are missing after the “horrific incident”.

In a statement, it said: “The US Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue for those who remain unaccounted for as a result of the bridge collapse.

“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’s mayor, Brandon Scott, told reporters that “the discussion right now should be about the people, the lives, the souls… there are people in the water that we have to get out and that’s the only thing we should be talking about.”

Richard Worley, the Baltimore police chief, said there was no indication this was done on purpose.

Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, said he’s spoken with Maryland and Baltimore officials.

“Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response,” he said.

Here are more images from Baltimore.

At least seven vehicles fell into the water, Baltimore City Fire spokesman Kevin Cartwright told WTOP.

A dive team was deployed to help those in the river, he said.

Here are the latest images from Baltimore.

The Synergy Marine Group, manager of the Singapore-flagged container ship, the Dali, has said that all crew members, including two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries, Reuters reported.