Baltimore What is known about the ship and bridge in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge near the US city of Baltimore was struck by a cargo ship early on Tuesday morning, causing the majority of it to collapse.

Rescuers are looking for seven to twenty persons who are said to be in the River Patapsco after many automobiles on the bridge at the time fell into its waters.

A state of emergency has been proclaimed by Governor Wes Moore of Maryland.

What do we know about the bridge?

The Baltimore bridge, often referred to as the Key Bridge, was dedicated in 1977 to celebrate Francis Scott Key, a poet from Maryland who lived in the 19th century and authored the lyrics for the Star Spangled Banner, the national song of the United States.

The bridge connected Baltimore Harbour and the Patapsco River, measuring 8,636 feet (2,632 metres) in length. The greatest estuary in the United States, Chesapeake Bay, is where the river empties.

It was the third longest bridge of its kind in the world, with a main span of 1,200 feet. It is referred to as a continuous truss bridge.

The bridge appeared to have collapsed instantly when the container ship Dali struck one of its supports, according to video footage from the event. On Tuesday, this occurred at around 01:30 local time (05:30 GMT).

James Wallace, the chief of the Baltimore Fire Department, later verified that there were several persons on the bridge at the time. Subsequently, officials stated that these included contractors fixing the bridge.

When the first fire department unit got on the scene at 01:50, they reported that the bridge had completely collapsed.

Divers searching the cold waters of the river and harbour for victims are part of a massive search and rescue effort that is now ongoing.

Authorities stated that "some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge" was causing unstable and dangerous situations. As a consequence, emergency rescue personnel were using caution when responding to the situation.

According to Mr. Wallace, two persons have been hauled out of the water thus far; one is seriously hurt, and the other appears to be unharmed.

It is now reported that the harbor's water temperature is around 9C (48F). When a person's body temperature falls below 35C, they may get hypothermia.

According to Baltimore fire authorities, sonar had found cars in the water.

What do we know about the ship?

Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea initially constructed the container ship Dali, flying the Singapore flag, for the Greek shipowner Oceanbulk.

According to a statement from Maersk, the massive container shipping business had temporarily leased the vessel, which is now managed by Synergy Group, a charter vessel company.

Maersk clarified that although there were no company employees on board at the time, the ship was transporting goods for Maersk clients.

Around 00:24 local time on Tuesday, the ship departed Baltimore's Seagirt Marine Terminal on its way to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

It travelled directly south-east down the Patapsco River with a constant speed increase.

After thereafter, at 01:25, according to MarineTraffic data, the ship abruptly veered off course and started to slow down.

Video captured the moment when the ship's outside lights abruptly stopped and smoke started coming out of the funnel.

Not long later, it collided with the bridge.

The two pilots and the crew, both of whom are Indian nationals, had been accounted for, according to Synergy, and no injuries had been reported.

The business stated that while there were a few plausible reasons for the event, a collision involving two pilots was not typical.

According to a maritime expert who spoke with the BBC, a generator blackout, steering failure, or engine failure might have contributed to the catastrophe.

There have been previous incidents concerning the Dali.

In 2016, while the ship attempted to depart the port of Antwerp, Belgium, it struck the quay with her stern, causing damage to the hull. Reports of spills or injuries were nonexistent.

What will be the impact of the bridge's collapse?

Given the Key Bridge's location, there may be significant traffic disruptions for several months or possibly years. The port of Baltimore's shipping industry will also be negatively impacted.

The four-lane bridge, which was a component of Interstate 695, the "Baltimore Beltway," which around Baltimore city, was thought to carry 11.5 million cars annually.

Although there will still be a tunnel closer to the city that crosses Baltimore Harbour, local officials have issued a "major traffic alert" in anticipation of serious traffic issues following the tragedy.

For vehicles transporting hazardous commodities, which are prohibited from using the alternate tunnel route but were able to cross the bridge, the fall of the bridge will pose a serious risk.

However, the event hasn't made shipping any easier.

The incident, according to container shipping expert Lars Jansen, was a "major disaster" that would "create significant problems on the US East Coast for US importers and exporters".

He adds that "multiple merchant vessels are now trapped in the port of Baltimore" in addition to the about 21,000 units of goods that must pass via other ports in the area. There are some bulk carriers, but none are container ships.

A record 1.3 million tonnes of imported goods were moved through the port in 2023 by an estimated 800,000 vehicles.

Mr. Jansen asserts that although there may be some delays and additional expenses, the incident won't have a big effect on the world at large.