Baltimore bridge collapse: Rescue operation underway after people, vehicles plunge into water | LIVE

BALTIMORE, Md. -- A instrumentality vessel struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge aboriginal Tuesday, causing a "catastrophic collapse," sending vehicles and radical into the water, officials successful Maryland said.

"At this time, it is an progressive hunt and rescue mission," said Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Paul Wiedefeld. "We cognize determination were individuals connected the span astatine the clip of the collapse, moving connected the bridge."

At a property league aboriginal Tuesday greeting officials said 2 radical were rescued, with 1 of those radical said to beryllium is successful precise superior condition. The different idiosyncratic did not request aesculapian treatment.

The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting hunt and rescue for those who stay unaccounted for arsenic a effect of the span collapse.

What to cognize astir the collapse

"I tin corroborate astatine 1:35 a.m., Baltimore City constabulary were notified of a partial span collapse, with workers perchance successful the water, astatine the Francis Scott Key Bridge," the Baltimore Police Department said successful a statement. Officials person since said the span has "fully collapsed."

The Maryland Transportation Authority said the illness occurred "due to vessel strike."

The vas appears to person deed 1 of the supports of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing the roadway to interruption isolated successful respective places and plunge into the water, according to a video posted connected X, formerly known arsenic Twitter.

Multiple vehicles plunged from the span astatine the clip of the collapse, the Baltimore City Fire Department said. Divers were searching for astatine slightest 7 radical successful the water, the section said.

Response vessel crews from Coast Guard Stations Curtis Bay and Annapolis person crews deployed to the incidental for progressive hunt and rescue, according to USCG. A Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City MH-65 Dolphin chopper unit and Coast Guard investigators and contamination responders are besides en way to the incident.

"An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast is issued regarding the incidental and determination has been a 2000-yard information portion issued for the surrounding waters. Mariners are urged to debar the area," USCG said.

"This is simply a dire emergency," Kevin Cartwright, manager of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press. "Our absorption close present is trying to rescue and retrieve these people."

Emergency responders were searching for astatine slightest 7 radical believed to beryllium successful the water, Cartwright said, though helium said it's excessively aboriginal to cognize however galore radical were affected. He called the illness a "developing wide casualty event."

He added that immoderate cargo appeared to beryllium dangling from the bridge.

He said agencies received 911 calls astir 1:30 a.m. reporting that a vessel leaving Baltimore had struck a file connected the bridge. Several vehicles were connected the span astatine the time, including 1 the size of a tractor-trailer truck.

The somesthesia successful the stream was astir 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) successful the aboriginal hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects information for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Ship mislaid propulsion, warned of collision, CISA study says

An unclassified Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency study said the instrumentality vessel Dali "lost propulsion" arsenic it was leaving larboard and warned Maryland officials of a imaginable collision.

The unit notified officials that they had mislaid control, the study said.

"The vas notified MD Department of Transportation (MDOT) that they had mislaid power of the vas and an allision with the span was possible," the study said. "The vas struck the span causing a implicit collapse."

The waterway into and retired of the larboard has been closed and determination is nary different way into the port, which is the 2nd busiest larboard successful the mid-Atlantic.

The 948-foot instrumentality vessel Dali, a Singapore-flagged vas owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd, struck the span astatine astir 1:30 a.m., according to a ship-tracking company.

"All unit members, including the 2 pilots person been accounted for and determination are nary reports of immoderate injuries," Synergy Marine Group said successful a statement.

The institution said the 22 unit members, including the pilots, were based successful India.

The origin of the clang is "yet to beryllium determined," the connection said.

Detours and logistics

Drivers are being told to debar I-695 southeast corridor and usage I-95 and I-895 arsenic alternatives.

"I-695 is being detoured southbound astatine exit 43 (Peninsula Expressway) and northbound astatine Exit 2 (Route 10)," Wiedefeld said.

Vessel postulation into and retired of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice, however, officials said the larboard is inactive unfastened for motortruck transactions.

The bridge, which is portion of Interstate 695, opened successful 1977 and crosses the Patapsco River successful Baltimore's harbor. It is simply a captious artery, that on with the Port of Baltimore, is simply a hub for shipping connected the East Coast.

It is named for the writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Last year, much than 12 cardinal cars traversed implicit the bridge, according to ABC News.

From a vantage constituent adjacent the entranceway to the bridge, jagged remnants of its alloy framework were disposable protruding from the water, with the on-ramp ending abruptly wherever the span erstwhile began.

Governor declares authorities of emergency

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has declared a authorities of exigency pursuing the collapse.

"We are moving with an interagency squad to rapidly deploy national resources from the Biden Administration," Moore said successful a statement.

White House 'closely monitoring' span collapse

The White House said aboriginal Tuesday it was "closely monitoring" the concern successful Baltimore, wherever a cargo vessel struck a large bridge.

"Our hearts spell retired to the families of those who stay missing arsenic a effect of this horrific incident," a White House authoritative said.

There was nary denotation of "any nefarious intent," an authoritative said.

Senior White House officials person been successful interaction with the Maryland politician and Baltimore politician to connection immoderate national assistance they need, the medication said.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg besides said helium has spoken to Maryland's politician and Baltimore's mayor, offering USDOT support.

FBI Baltimore unit are besides astatine the country to assist.

"We are alert of the incidental successful Baltimore. The precedence is ensuring the information of those affected arsenic a hunt and rescue cognition is underway. We expect an probe study volition beryllium submitted to IMO successful owed course," the International Maritime Organization said successful a statement.

In 2001, a freight bid carrying hazardous materials derailed successful a passageway successful downtown Baltimore and caught fire, spewing achromatic fume into surrounding neighborhoods and forcing officials to temporarily adjacent each large roads into the city.

This is simply a processing story. Please cheque backmost for updates.

ABC News and The Associated Press contributed to this story.