A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore has collapsed after a large ship collided with it, sending multiple vehicles into the water.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning local time the large vessel crashed into Francis Scott Key Bridge, catching on fire and causing multiple vehicles to fall into the Patapsco River below, according to a live stream posted on YouTube.
The Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a mass-casualty incident, and said workers were searching for up to 20 people in the river, AFP reported.
Moment 1.6-mile bridge collapses in Baltimore
There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Mayor Brandon M Scott and Baltimore County executive Johnny Olszewski Jr posted that emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.
"Please pray for those impacted," Mr Olszewski said.
Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, said agencies received 911 calls at about 1:30am local time (3:30pm AEST), reporting a vessel travelling outbound from Baltimore that had struck a column on the bridge, causing it to collapse.
Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a large truck.
"Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people," Mr Cartwright said.
He said it was too early to know how many people were affected but called the collapse a "developing mass casualty event".
Mr Cartwright said it appears there are "some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge," creating unsafe and unstable conditions, and that emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
"This is a dire emergency," he said.
Data from marine tracking websites show the vessel involved is the Singaporean-flagged container ship Dali, which had left Baltimore's Point Breeze before the collision occurred.
Synergy Marine Group, which owns the Dali, confirmed the ship had collided with a pillar of the bridge.
"Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the Dali has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident response service," it said, adding that all crew members, including the two pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.
The 1.6 mile (2.57km)-long Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977 and spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast.
The port's private and public terminals handled 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023, the most of any US port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.
The bridge is named after the writer of the US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner.
Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after collision with container ship
