Hunt for survivors as ship brings down 1.6-mile U.S. bridge

THIS is the moment a major bridge collapsed in US city of Baltimore after it was struck by a cargo ship.

- Jacob Phillips and Matt Watts

Multiple vehicles were feared to have plunged into the Patapsco river below in what was said to be a “mass casualty event”.

Rescuers were searching for at least seven people after the ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge at around 1.30am. Dramatic footage showed the container ship catching fire with black smoke coming from it.

Within 30 seconds large sections of the 1.6-mile bridge, part of the city’s 695 orbital highway, crumpled into the water. A search and rescue operation was launched to find survivors.

“This is a dire emergency,” Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department said. “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people”, he said.

Baltimore police chief James Wallace said two people had been rescued from the water this morning with one in a “very serious condition”.