Mass Casualty as US Bridge Hits By Ship Collapses into River

A Bridge in the US city of Baltimore has entirely collapsed into the Patapsco River after being hit by a container ship.

Seven people and several vehicles have fallen into the river, says Baltimore City Fire Department who are currently at the bridge.

The fire department says a large vessel hit a column of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at around 01:30 ET (05:30 GMT).

A large vessel collided with the bridge at around 01:30 local time (05:30 GMT), causing the full length of the structure to give way and plunge into the water.

No casualties have been reported and there is now a large multi-agency rescue and recovery operation under way.

The bridge that collapsed in Baltimore is called the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the Key Bridge for short.

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Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace says they do not have any information as to if there was problem with the ship.

He says police have not spoken to the pilot on the vessel yet.

Wallace is now taking questions from the media, and has been asked about the various numbers of casualties we have heard throughout the morning.

Wallace says exact numbers have not yet been nailed down but confirms at least seven people fell into the water, placing emphasis on at least.