Baltimore Key Bridge collapse live updates: Rescuers search for people in water

A major bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a freighter at about 1:30 am Tuesday, sending at least eight people from a construction crew into the water as a large section of the bridge crashed into the Patapsco River. The container ship, traveling at a relatively rapid speed of about eight knots, lost power in the moments before it struck the bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said at a news conference.

Here’s what to know

• Moore said a preliminary investigation indicates “an accident” and that there is no evidence of a terrorist attack. The governor declared a state of emergency and said he was working with federal agencies to deploy resources for the response. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D) announced that the city has deployed its emergency operations plan.
• Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said a construction crew was on the bridge at the time it collapsed. The workers were repairing potholes and masonry. Wiedenfeld said officials believe that eight members of that crew fell into the water. Two have been rescued.
• Cold and murky waters made rescue conditions difficult overnight, said Kevin Cartwright, the Baltimore Fire Department’s communications director. He told The Washington Post earlier that up to 20 people could be in the water. The Fire Department described the collapse as a “mass casualty incident.”
• Federal Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg offered the department’s support to Baltimore authorities, and the National Transportation Safety Board announced the launch of a “go team” to investigate the collapse. The freighter is a Singapore-flagged vessel, the 948-foot Dali.
• Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore was “suspended until further notice.” The Maryland Transportation Authority closed Interstate 695 in both directions.