Baltimore: Vehicles fall into water as bridge collapses after being hit by ship

A major bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, partially collapsed on March 26 morning, possibly leaving a number of people in the river below, authorities said, Report informs referring to NBC News.

A spokesperson for Baltimore Police Department told NBC News that it had been notified of the incident at the Francis Scott Key Bridge, an enormous steel structure which carries the Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River southeast of the Baltimore metropolitan area.

A large container ship hit the bridge overnight, and there appeared to be personnel on the crossing at the time of the incident, Baltimore Fire Department Battalion Chief Glenn Kukucka told CNBC by phone. He added that the vessel involved in the collision appeared to have sustained damage.

Images posted to social media early Tuesday show the mangled wreck of the bridge rising out of the river in the dawn twilight.

The Maryland Transport Authority confirmed that the I-695 was shut because of the Key Bridge collapsing due to a "ship strike."