The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a critical bridge and major route for cargo and cruise ships, collapsed early Tuesday after being hit by a container ship. This incident, which sent vehicles plummeting into the water below, was declared a mass-casualty event.

The incident occurred when the Singapore-flagged container ship, named Dali, which had departed Baltimore shortly after 1 a.m., collided with the bridge while en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Dali, chartered by the shipping giant Maersk and carrying their customers' cargo, struck the bridge's central part, causing a significant section of the structure to crumble into the Patapsco River. This horrifying moment was captured in footage that shows the steel arches of the bridge instantly dismantling, resulting in the loss of several vehicles.

Declared a mass-casualty event, the scene became the focus of intense rescue operations. At least seven vehicles were presumed missing, having fallen from the bridge's 1.6-mile-long span. The Baltimore City Fire Department initiated a search for the vehicles shortly after the incident was reported. Early efforts led to the discovery of at least two individuals in the water; one was found in critical condition while the other did not require medical attention.

Baltimore City Fire Department, described the situation as a "developing mass casualty event," with dive and rescue teams dispatched to locate and recover individuals believed to have fallen into the river, which was reported to be contaminated with diesel.

The container ship, reported to have had a mechanical issue that resulted in the collision, was left jammed against the remaining bridge structure. Authorities had a brief window to halt vehicular traffic before the collision, which occurred around 1:28 a.m., at a time when there were workers on the bridge.

The incident's impact extends beyond the immediate disaster area. The collapse is likely to affect maritime traffic to Baltimore's port for an unforeseen period, including the operations of cargo and cruise ships. 
Two cruise ships homeported in Baltimore, the Vision of the Seas and Carnival Legend, were out on their respective voyages and are outward bound now in the Atlantic.

Vision of the Seas is on a 12 days, round-trip Southern Caribbean Cruise and was scheduled to arrive in Baltimore on 4th April.
Carnival Legend is currently sailing a 7 days, round-trip to the Bahamas, and was scheduled to arrive in Baltimore on 31st March
This tragic event will more than likely effect all maritime traffic to the port for the unforeseen future.