Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott addressed the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse after being hit by a freighter in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
“This is an unthinkable tragedy,” Scott said at a press conference. “We have to first and foremost pray for all of those who are impacted, those families, pray for our first responders and thank them.”
Scott has issued an executive order declaring a State of Emergency in Baltimore City in response to the bridge collapse. The order mobilizes the City of Baltimore’s Emergency Operations Plan to deploy emergency resources to protect the persons impacted by the incident and extends the resources available to tackle the emergency.
Baltimore, I am 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. pic.twitter.com/x6euk2SocZ
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) March 26, 2024
“There were individuals on this bridge when the tragedy happened. We have our fire teams, our marine teams, our police and marine teams out there,” he continued. “Now, with the sunlight coming up, we can actually put drivers in the water to try to save souls. And that’s where the focus is and will remain for us for quite some time.”
Footage shows the cargo ship crashing into one of the columns, causing the bridge to snap and plunge into the water before the top of the ship burst into flames, sending dozens of vehicles into the Patapsco River. Crew on board the vessel notified authorities they had lost power on the ship moments before the collision.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said eight people were on the Key Bridge at the time of its collapse. Two people are accounted for and the search continues for the six missing individuals.
Check this out: video (sped up at parts) with a better breakdown of the entire incident, resulting in the container ship striking the Key Bridge: pic.twitter.com/Hw67SHzjKl
— DMV News Live (@DCNewsLive) March 26, 2024
Kevin Cartwright, director of communications of the Baltimore City Fire Department, told CNN that freezing temperatures “pose a concern” to the ongoing search-and-rescue operation.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said that preliminary investigations indicate this was “an accident” and not an act of terror. He also made it clear that the ship was “fully up to code.”
