A 'catastrophic' event has been declared after a container ship, the Dali, collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, on Tuesday morning. Alarming footage shows the bridge collapsing as the ship struck its central section. The video captures the Dali experiencing loss of electrical power twice before the collision. This resulted in the destruction of the bridge and the disappearance of multiple individuals.
Video footage captures the ship, illuminated only by a single front light, as it approaches a section of the bridge around 1 am on Tuesday. As it draws nearer, all lights aboard the vessel suddenly extinguish.
Gradually, the lights flicker back to life as the ship continues its approach toward the bridge, accompanied by a significant plume of black smoke emanating from one of its funnels.
As the ship approaches once more, all lights abruptly go out again. They flicker back on as the vessel becomes dangerously close to the bridge, unable to veer away. Just seconds later, the collision occurs.
During the initial press conference following the crash, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace stated that a large-scale rescue operation is currently underway to assist those who plunged into the water during the collision.
Wallace confirmed that sonar has detected an undisclosed number of vehicles submerged in the frigid water. Thus far, two individuals have been rescued— one is receiving treatment for serious injuries at a local hospital, while the other emerged unharmed.