Governor Wes Moore released the following statement on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge:
Article continues below
"My office is in close communication with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, and the Baltimore Fire Department as emergency personnel are on the scene following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
"I have declared a State of Emergency here in Maryland and we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration.
"We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone’s safety.
"We will remain in close contact with federal, state, and local entities that are carrying out rescue efforts as we continue to assess and respond to this tragedy."
Mayor Brandon M. Scott has issued an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in Baltimore City in response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse incident.
The Executive Order mobilizes the City of Baltimore’s Emergency Operations Plan to deploy emergency resources to protect the persons affected by the incident and expands the resources available to tackle the emergency situation.
This State of Emergency is in effect starting 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, and will remain in place for thirty days, subject to renewal or cancellation as conditions warrant.
Baltimore Fire Department's chief confirmed that two people were rescued from the water and were rushed to the hospital. While one of them refused the medical treatment, the other one continues to be in a “very serious condition," James Wallace added.
A cargo ship lost power and rammed into a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, destroying the span in a matter of seconds and plunging it into the river in a terrifying collapse that could disrupt a vital shipping port for months.
Emergency personnel are actively searching for at least six people.
A mayday call was issued before a container ship struck a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a decision Maryland Governor Moore said "saved lives" ahead of the bridge's collapse early on the morning.
Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld said a crew was working on repairing potholes on the bridge around the time of the collision, and that the repairs didn't have to do with the structural integrity of the bridge.
Maryland Secretary of Transportation Paul Wiedefeld said a crew was working on repairing potholes on the bridge around the time of the collision, and that the repairs didn't have to do with the structural integrity of the bridge. ■