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A major bridge collapsed in the US city of Baltimore after it was hit by a 289m-long cargo ship.

Six people remain missing after two others were rescued from the water following the disaster in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Here’s everything we know about the incident so far.

What happened?

A large section of the 1.6 mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge fell into the water after it was struck by a container ship, known as the Dali, at around 1.30am local time (5.30am UK time).

The vessel struck one of the bridge’s supports, causing the whole structure to collapse, sending the road surface and steel beams crashing into the water.

Baltimore bridge latest: Follow live updates

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into what happened, with its chair Jennifer Homendy saying at least six people are still missing.

Eight people were initially unaccounted for – with one described as being in a “very serious condition” in hospital. The other was not injured.

The six missing are believed to be part of a construction crew that was repairing potholes on the bridge, the Maryland Department of Transportation has said.

All 22 crew members on board the ship, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of injuries.

Read more:
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Two possible causes for the catastrophe

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed after a ship collision. Pic: Raws Alerts
Image:
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has collapsed after a ship collision. Pic: Raws Alerts

What does the footage show?

Dramatic video shows the cargo vessel approaching the bridge before the structure collapses into the water.

Vehicles can be seen falling from the bridge.

An exact number has not been given, but Baltimore fire department’s communications chief Kevin Cartwright said multiple vehicles were on the bridge when it was struck by the ship, one of which was the size of an HGV.

US president Joe Biden said in a news conference hours after the collapse that personnel on the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel.

Mr Biden added this “undoubtedly saved lives” at it meant local authorities were able to close the bridge before it was struck.

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Footage showing the moment bridge collapsed

What happened in the moments before the crash?

CCTV and marine tracking data shows the container ship lost power for about 60 seconds about four minutes before it hit the bridge. It appeared to adjust its course and start smoking before impact.

According to the timings on the CCTV, the vessel hit the structure at 1.28:44am – with the bridge collapsing four seconds later.

The operators of the Dali cargo ship issued a mayday call that the vessel had lost power moments before the crash, but the ship still headed toward the bridge at “a very, very rapid speed”, Maryland Governor Wes Moore said.

The ship was moving at eight knots, which is roughly 9mph, when it hit the structure, the governor said.

Francis Scott Key Bridge

What do we know about the ship?

The Singapore-flagged container ship, known as Dali, was headed to Colombo in Sri Lanka at the time of the collision.

Synergy Marine Group, the company which manages the ship, said it hit the bridge while under the control of two pilots.

The firm said the exact cause of the incident was yet to be determined.

The Dali was previously involved in a minor incident when it hit a quay at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2016, according to Vessel Finder and maritime accident site Shipwrecklog.

An inspection of the Dali last June at a port in Chile identified a problem with the ship’s “propulsion and auxiliary machinery”, according to Equasis, a shipping information system.

The deficiency involved gauges and thermometers, but the website’s online records did not elaborate.

The most recent inspection listed for the Dali was conducted by the US Coast Guard in New York on 13 September 2023. The “standard examination” did not identify any deficiencies, according to the Equasis data.

What do we know about the bridge itself?

Last June, federal inspectors rated the 47-year-old bridge to be in fair condition. But the structure did not appear to have pier protection to withstand the crash, experts said.

“If a bridge pier without adequate protection is hit by a ship of this size, there is very little that the bridge could do,” according to Virginia Tech engineering professor Roberto Leon.

Built in 1977 and referred to locally as the Key Bridge, it was named after the author of the American national anthem.

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What impact could this collision have?

All ship traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice, though the port remains open to trucks, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said.

Last year, the port handled a record 52.3m tons of foreign cargo worth $80bn (£63bn), according to the state. In addition to cargo, more than 444,000 passengers cruised out of the port in 2023.

The port is a major east coast hub for shipping. The bridge spans the Patapsco River, which massive cargo ships use to reach the Chesapeake Bay and then the Atlantic Ocean.

The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag, according to data from Marine Traffic.

President Biden said that he plans to travel to Baltimore “as quickly as I can” and that he expects the federal government to pick up the entire cost of rebuilding the bridge.

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Timeline of Baltimore bridge collapse

Has this ever happened before?

From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collisions, with a total of 342 people killed, according to a 2018 report from the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure.

Eighteen of those collapses happened in the United States.

Among them were a 2002 incident in which a barge struck the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River at Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, sending vehicles plunging into the water. Fourteen people died and 11 were injured.

In 2001, a tugboat and barge struck the Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel, Texas, causing a section of the bridge to tumble 80 feet into the bay below. Eight people were killed.

In 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 onboard reached the displaced bridge and derailed, killing 47 people and injuring 103 others.

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’12 people’ injured in stabbing at Hamburg train station – as woman arrested

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'12 people' injured in stabbing at Hamburg train station - as woman arrested

A woman has been arrested after 12 people were reportedly injured in a stabbing at Hamburg’s central train station in Germany.

An attacker armed with a knife targeted people on the platform between tracks 13 and 14, according to police.

They added that the suspect was a 39-year-old woman.

Police at the scene of a stabbing at Hamburg Central Station. Pic: AP
Image:
Police at the scene. Pic: AP

Officers said they “believe she acted alone” and investigations into the stabbing are continuing.

There was no immediate information on a possible motive.

The fire service said six of the injured were in a life-threatening condition, three others were seriously hurt, and another three sustained minor injuries, news agency dpa reported.

The attack happened shortly after 6pm local time (5pm UK time) on Friday in front of a waiting train, regional public broadcaster NDR reported.

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A high-speed ICE train with its doors open could be seen at the platform after the incident.

Railway operator Deutsche Bahn said it was “deeply shocked” by what had happened.

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Four tracks at the station were closed in the evening, and some long-distance trains were delayed or diverted.

Hamburg is Germany‘s second biggest city, with the train station being a hub for local, regional and long-distance trains.

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Mum of emaciated baby in Gaza says ‘I lost my husband… I don’t want to lose her’

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Mum of emaciated baby in Gaza says 'I lost my husband... I don't want to lose her'

In mid-May, the World Health Organisation assessed that there were “nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death”.

“This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time,” its report concluded.

Warning: This article contains images of an emaciated child which some readers may find distressing

Israel‘s decision this week to reverse the siege and allow “a basic level of aid” into Gaza should help ease the immediate crisis.

But the number of aid trucks getting in, so far fewer than 100 per day, is considered dramatically too few by aid organisations working in Gaza, and the United Nations accuses Israel of continuing to block vital items.

Israel-Gaza latest: Gaza enduring ‘atrocious death and destruction’, UN boss warns

“Strict quotas are being imposed on the goods we distribute, along with unnecessary delay procedures,” said UN secretary general Antonio Guterres in New York on Friday.

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“Essentials, including fuel, shelter, cooking gas and water purification supplies, are prohibited. Nothing has reached the besieged north.”

Nineteen of Gaza’s hospitals remain operational, all of them are overwhelmed with the number of patients and a lack of supplies.

Baby Aya at the Rantisi hospital in northern Gaza
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Baby Aya at Rantisi hospital in northern Gaza is dangerously thin

“Today, we receive between 300 to 500 cases daily, with approximately 10% requiring admission. This volume of inpatient cases far exceeds the capacity of Rantisi hospital, as the facility is not equipped to accommodate such large numbers,” Jall al Barawi, a doctor at the hospital, told us.

At least 94% of the hospitals have sustained some damage, some considerable, according to the UN.

Jall al Barawi, a doctor at Rantisi hospital
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Jall al Barawi, a doctor at Rantisi hospital

Paramedic crews are close to running out of fuel to drive ambulances.

The lack of food, after an 11-week blockade, has left thousands malnourished and increasingly vulnerable to surviving injuries or recovering from other conditions.

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Children are the worst affected.

Our team in Gaza filmed with baby Aya at the Rantisi hospital in northern Gaza. She is now three months old and dangerously thin.

Her skin stretches over her cheekbones and eye sockets on her gaunt, pale face. Her nappy is too big for her emaciated little body.

Aya's nappy is too big for her emaciated little body.
Image:
Aya’s nappy is too big for her emaciated little body.

Lethal spiral

Her mother Sundush, who is only 19 herself, cannot get enough food to produce breastmilk. Baby formula is scarce.

Aya, like so many other young children, cannot get the vital nutrition she needs to grow and develop.

It’s a lethal spiral.

This is what Aya looked like shortly after she was born
Image:
This is what Aya looked like shortly after she was born

“My daughter was born at a normal weight, 3.5kg,” Sundush tells us.

“But as the war went on, her weight dropped significantly. I would breastfeed her, she’d get diarrhoea. I tried formula – same result. With the borders closed and no food coming in, I can’t eat enough to give her the nutrients she needs.”

“I brought her to the hospital for treatment, but the care she needs isn’t available.

“The doctor said her condition is very serious. I really don’t want to lose her, because I lost my husband and she’s all I have left of him. I don’t want to lose her.”

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Aya and her mother Sundush
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Aya and her mother Sundush

Some of the aid entering Gaza now is being looted. It is hard to know whether that is by Hamas or desperate civilians. Maybe a combination of the two.

The lack of aid creates an atmosphere of desperation, which eventually leads to a breakdown in security as everyone fights to secure food for themselves and their families.

Only by alleviating the desperation can the security situation improve, and the risk of famine abate.

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Police launch ‘major operation’ after 12 people injured in knife attack at Hamburg train station

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Police launch 'major operation' after 12 people injured in knife attack at Hamburg train station

Twelve people are reported to have been injured after a knife attack at Hamburg’s central train station.

A “major operation” has been launched and a suspect was arrested, police said in a post on X.

The identity of the suspect has not been revealed.

Reports in Germany said the suspected attacker was a woman.

The fire service said six of the injured were in a life-threatening condition, three others were seriously hurt, and another three sustained minor injuries, news agency dpa reported.

Bild newspaper said the motive for the attack was so far unknown.

Hamburg is Germany’s second biggest city, with the train station being a hub for local, regional and long-distance trains.

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