BALTIMORE, March  26, 2024 (AFP) - A major bridge collapsed in 
Baltimore on Tuesday, blocking one of the busiest US commercial harbors, after 
a heavily laden cargo ship lost power and smashed into a support column despite 
desperate attempts to stop in time.
       
Six people -- all members of a nighttime construction crew repairing 
potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge -- were missing, officials said.
       Maryland Governor Wes Moore told reporters that quick thinking by 
authorities once the ship issued a Mayday call allowed officials to stop 
vehicles passing onto the bridge.
       "We're thankful that between the Mayday and the collapse that we had 
officials who were able to begin to stop the flow of traffic," Moore said. 
"These people are heroes. They saved lives last night."
       The 1:30 am (0530 GMT) disaster occurred at dramatic speed, with video 
footage capturing the moment the ship, piled high with containers, slammed into 
one of the bridge supports, instead of passing safely under.
       Almost immediately, the steel structure, which was opened in 1977, 
collapsed like a deck of cards.
       The number of casualties was still unclear, with divers and other 
specialist rescue teams combing the frigid waters of the Patapsco River that 
lead into the bustling industrial harbor just north of the capital Washington.
       In addition to the six missing construction workers, two others from the 
same team were rescued, with one of them severely injured.
       The FBI and other agencies stressed that there was no known connection to 
terrorism.
       "The preliminary investigation points to an accident," Moore said.
       The governor, a rising star in the Democratic party, also said there was no 
indication that the bridge was structurally at fault, noting that "the bridge 
was actually fully up to code" -- meaning it had been inspected and met safety 
requirements.
       "The crew that was out there working was basically repairing potholes, just 
so you understand that had nothing to do with a structural issue at all," Paul 
Wiedefeld, the Maryland transportation chief, said.
       
       - Attempt to drop anchors -
    
       
       As the sun rose over Baltimore, twisted steel girders could be seen draped 
over the deck of the ship that was jammed under the debris.
       Details emerged of how the crew tried to avert disaster after their ship 
lost power and began careening toward the bridge.
       "Just prior to the incident, the vessel, Dali, had experienced momentary 
loss of propulsion. As a result, it was unable to maintain the desired heading 
and collided," said the maritime authority for Singapore, where the Dali is 
flagged.
       The maritime authority said the ship's management company, Synergy Marine 
Pte Ltd, reported the crew "dropped anchors" in a last-ditch -- but futile -- 
attempt to hold the ship back.
       The Francis Scott Key Bridge, named after the poet who penned the lyrics to 
the US national anthem, is an important link in the US east coast highway 
system, used by about 34,000 vehicles every day.
       There are other ways for drivers to cross the harbor, including alternative 
bridges and tunnels. However the tangled steel barrier now lying half-submerged 
across the harbor entrance blocks almost all maritime traffic.
       The Port of Baltimore is the ninth-busiest major US port in terms of both 
foreign cargo handled and foreign cargo value, and is directly responsible for 
more than 15,000 jobs, supporting almost 140,000 more.
       "The words that 'the Key Bridge is gone,' it still shakes us, because for 
over 47 years, that's all we've known.... It's heartbreaking," Moore said.
       Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described the bridge as an "unthinkable 
tragedy... like something out of an action movie."
       "We have to be thinking about the families and people impacted, folks who 
we have to try to find," he said.
       Donald Heinbuch, a former Baltimore firefighter, said he could see the 
bridge from his bedroom window.
       "We were awakened by what appeared to be an earthquake and a long, rolling 
sound of thunder," he told local media.