A catastrophic collapse in Baltimore sent people and vehicles into frigid waters on Tuesday, after a cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
A catastrophic collapse in Baltimore sent people and vehicles into frigid waters on Tuesday, after a cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Stunning video captured the moment of impact and the bridge crumbling into the Patapsco River around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
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As rescue crews continue to search for potential survivors, many are remembering similar scenes from other parts of the U.S. -- including Florida.
Back in 1980, nearly three dozen people were killed when a freighter slammed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the Tampa Bay area.
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The 609-foot freighter Summit Venture was navigating through the narrow, winding shipping channel of Tampa Bay when a sudden, blinding squall knocked out the ship’s radar.
The ship sheared off a support of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, dropping a 1,400-foot section of concrete roadway during the morning rush hour. Seven vehicles, including a bus with 26 aboard, fell 150 feet into the water, killing 35.
Decades later in 2013, a U.S. Navy cargo ship struck the Matthews Bridge in Jacksonville. No one was hurt in that incident.
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From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collision, with a total of 342 people killed, according to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure. 18 of those collapses happened in the United States.
In Tuesday's bridge collapse, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the operators of the ship issued a mayday call moments before the crash that took down the Francis Scott Key Bridge, enabling authorities to limit vehicle traffic from entering the span.
Two people were rescued, but officials say they haven’t been able to account for several others.
See below for other bridge catastrophes that have happened across the U.S.
Popp's Ferry Bridge
March 20, 2009: A vessel pushing eight barges rammed into the Popp's Ferry Bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi, resulting in a 150-foot section of the bridge collapsing into the bay.
Interstate 40 Bridge: 14 dead
May 26, 2002: A barge hit the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River at Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, collapsing a 500-foot section of road and plunging vehicles into the water. 14 people died and 11 were injured.
Queen Isabella Causeway: 8 dead
Sept. 15, 2001: A tugboat and barge struck the Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel, Texas, causing a midsection of the bridge to tumble 80 feet into the bay below. Eight people died after motorists drove into the hole.
Eads Bridge: 50 injured
April 14, 1998: The Anne Holly tow traveling through the St. Louis Harbor rammed into the center span of the Eads Bridge. Eight barges broke away. Three of them hit a permanently moored gambling vessel below the bridge. 50 people suffered minor injuries.
Big Bayou Canot: 47 dead
Sept. 22, 1993: Barges being pushed by a towboat in dense fog hit and displaced the Big Bayou Canot railroad bridge near Mobile, Alabama. Minutes later, an Amtrak train with 220 people aboard reached the displaced bridge and derailed, killing 47 people and injuring 103 people.
Seeber Bridge: 1 dead
May 28, 1993: The towboat Chris, pushing the empty hopper barge DM3021, hit a support tier of the Judge William Seeber Bridge in New Orleans. Two spans and the two-column bent collapsed onto the barge. Two cars carrying three people fell with the four-lane bridge deck into a canal. One person died and two people were seriously injured.
