The Baltimore Bridge was built with a special design called a steel arch. Now, it’s gone, and fixing it could take many years.

In shocking news, a big cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, causing a huge disaster. It happened late at night, just after midnight, on a busy highway bridge that goes over the Patapsco River on I-695.

A video of the crash is hard to believe. It shows the ship getting closer and closer to the bridge until it crashes into one of the big support columns. The impact made a whole section of the bridge collapse. Some cars were on the bridge when it happened, and some might have fallen into the river.

The governor of Maryland, Wes Moore, declared a state of emergency right away. Rescue teams from the Baltimore City Fire Department rushed to the scene. They’re searching the water for about 20 people who might be in danger. They’ve saved two people already, but one person is seriously hurt. Luckily, there have been no reports of anyone dying.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge was a super long bridge, one of the longest in the United States and the world. It was built with a special design called a steel arch. Now, it’s gone, and fixing it could take many years.

People are wondering how this could have happened. Even though it was dark, the bridge was well lit, and the ship had its lights on, too. It seems strange that the captain of the ship didn’t see the bridge coming. Some think the ship might have had a problem with its power or steering, but nobody knows for sure yet.

Right now, the main focus is on rescuing anyone who might be stuck in the river. But losing the Key bridge is a big deal for traffic in Baltimore. It’s going to cause a lot of problems until it’s fixed.

As investigators try to figure out what went wrong, we’ll keep you updated on this big story.