Colombo-bound Ship Collides With Baltimore bridge: Mass Casualty Event Declared

COLOMBO (News 1st); Singapore-flagged container ship 'Dali' has collided with a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore resulting in the collapse of the entire structure.

According to the BBC, shipping company Synergy Marine Group had confirmed that all crew members, including the two pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.

The vessel is 300m long and was on its way to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

On marine radars, the Dali departed from the terminal at Port Breeze at around 12:45am ET (4:45am GMT).

It travelled towards the Francis Scott Key Bridge but became stationary at the site of the bridge 45 minutes later.

A Baltimore City Fire Department spokesperson has confirmed that the Baltimore bridge collapse is a "mass casualty event".

As many as 20 workers are believed to have fallen into the Patapsco River following the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse, says Baltimore City Fire Department communications chief.

A large tractor-trailer was on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it collapsed, the Baltimore City Fire Department tells the BBC's US partner, CBS News.

The department says there was lots of diesel fuel in the water around the ship that struck the bridge.