A shipping company has said there were no injuries among the crew of a container ship which collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore.
The bridge collapsed seconds after the collision occurred at around 1:30am local time, with the container ship Dali having left port in Baltimore minutes earlier.
Local authorities have declared the incident to be a 'mass casualty event' after numerous vehicles and people fell into the water, underlining the severity of the collision and subsequent collapse.
According to the BBC, shipping company Synergy Marine Group have said that nobody on board the Dali was injured, and that all crew are present and accounted for.
They said: "Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the 'Dali' has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident response service."
According to ship tracking data the Dali had left port in Baltimore at around 12:45am local time and it collided with the Francis Scott Key bridge around 45 minutes later.
It had been heading for Colombo, Sri Lanka but collided with the Baltimore bridge early into its journey.
Footage of the bridge collapsing shows that the container ship appeared to collide with one of the supports and the structure collapsed within seconds, giving almost no time for anyone who might have been on board to escape.
The Baltimore City Fire Department has said that as many as 'seven people and several vehicles' had gone into the water, and they later said that as many as 20 workers might have fallen into the Patapsco River as a result of the bridge's collapse.
Multiple rescue agencies are on the scene including the US Coastguard as they attempt to rescue people from the water.
An official number of casualties is yet to be confirmed, with the Baltimore City Fire Department saying that as more details emerge the situation is likely to change.
The Francis Scott Key bridge had begun construction in 1972 and opened to motorists in 1977.
Standing 56 metres high above the Patapsco River, it would have been a long way down for anyone who was on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
The bridge is part of the I-95 interstate which runs up America's eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine.
Baltimore officials have asked people to 'pray for those impacted' as the rescue operation is ongoing and more details on casualties are yet to emerge.
With the bridge collapse declared a 'mass casualty event' further updates to this developing story are likely to bring grim tidings.
Topics: US News, Baltimore bridge
Joe Harker