A shocking scene from Baltimore early Tuesday morning as a cargo ship accidentally struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River. The accident happened at 1:30am local time with only a handful of vehicles on the bridge at the time of the incident. Rescuers are looking for at least seven people thought to have gone down with the bridge while two people have been rescued. Several vehicles also plunged into the river. All 22 people on board the cargo ship were unharmed in the accident. Sonar and infrared technology is being used in rescue efforts to get people out of the 8 C water. Rescuers are also working as fast as they can to locate people before the tide rolls in, which could dramatically hamper efforts.
In addition to devastation on the bridge, the ship itself caught fire in the accident with cargo being seen hanging from the bridge. Despite diesel fuel odors, there doesn’t appear to be a fuel leak from the ship yet.
The bridge was first built in 1977 at a cost of $60 million dollars. Experts believe it’ll cost at least 10 times that amount to rebuild the structure which rises 185 feet above the Patapsco River and spans nearly two miles. According to the stats from the Maryland Transportation Authority, 11.3 million vehicles drive over the bridge per year
