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The same vessel that hit the Baltimore Key Bridge on Tuesday, destroying it and sending people and vehicles tumbling into the water, was involved in a collision while leaving the port of Antwerp, Belgium, in 2016.
According to Vessel Finder the weather was fine at the time, and the incident was reportedly blamed on the ship’s master and pilot onboard.
Our video team have this video report:
In the immediate aftermath of the bridge collapse, far-right influencers have already begun questioning whether the accident was intentional or part of a nefarious plot.
Authorities so far have said the crash appears to be an accident – the FBI has said there is “no specific and credible information to suggest any ties to terrorism at this time” while the homeland security secretary said “there are no indications this was an intentional act.” A report from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said the ship was in contact with transportation authorities before the collision because it had “lost propulsion.”
The theories spreading so far aren’t unified under a particular narrative, but more fall into “just asking questions” speculation territory. Mike Flynn, the former national security adviser to Donald Trump and frequent sharer of conspiracy theories, posted on X along these lines, calling the collision a “BLACK SWAN event,” a type of unforeseeable event that causes major upheaval. Lara Logan, the media personality who often spreads these kinds of rumors, made claims of a cyber attack without evidence, saying on X that “they are going to have a hard time selling this one as an accident to those who know how these things are done.”
The move into speculation and rumors right after a tragedy is now a hallmark of the internet, where this quick misinformation rockets around online well before investigations into the facts have time to catch up. It becomes especially acute during election years, when unrelated events get tied up into political and electoral narratives.
Former US Rep. Denver Riggleman summarized the spread of these rumors on X: “Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.—Tragic. Accident. Sad. Now, let’s endure the inevitable fever-dream conspiracy theories & speculative shite pushed by the ‘Ball of string & whiteboard’ crowd. Lots of QAnon’ers and alien abduction folks firing up the forums.”
Joe Biden is expected to give remarks on the Key Bridge collapse later today, NBC News reported.
Biden was briefed on the collapse early Tuesday, according to a statement from the White House.
“The president has been briefed on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and the ongoing search and rescue efforts. He will continue to receive updates from his team throughout the day,” the statement read.
Here are some images showing the aftermath of the Key Bridge collapse that happened early Tuesday.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge was up to code before the bridge collapse, Moore added.
Moore confirmed that the bridge was “fully up to code” prior to Tuesday’s accident. Moore added that rebuilding the bridge will be a long-term effort.
Reuters has corrected an earlier report that one person has died in the hospital following the Key Bridge collapse.
Reuters previously reported that a person died following the accident.
That claim has since been corrected. One person is currently in the hospital.
Another person who was rescued is not in the hospital, according to Maryland Transportation Secretary, Reuters reported.
Maryland governor Wes Moore added that the ship had lost power around the time when the cargo ship hit the Key Bridge.
The ship’s crew issued a “mayday” request. Moore said that officials were able to slow the flow of traffic, preventing more vehicles from falling into the water.
“These people are heroes. They saved lives last night,” Moore said.
Six people are still unaccounted for following the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse.
Eight people reportedly fell into the water, officials say. All eight were construction workers who were assisting with a project. One person was taken to an area hospital.
A press conference is now underway following the Key Bridge collapse.
Maryland governor Wes Moore gave remarks early in the conference.
Moore said that response teams are still working to rescue people who may have fallen into the water after the bridge collapse.
He added that the preliminary investigation suggests that the bridge collision was an accident.
“In the face of heart break, we come together. We embrace one another and we come back stronger. That’s what we’ve always done…and that’s what we’re going to get done together. And we’re going to pray for Baltimore,” Moore said.
Stay tuned for further updates.
Brandon M Scott, the mayor of Baltimore, has declared a local state of emergency following the Key Bridge collapse, according to a statement on social media.
In a post to X, Scott said he is “officially declaring a local state of emergency in response to the collapse of our Key Bridge.”
“Our teams are mobilizing resources and working swiftly to address this crisis and ensure the safety and well-being of our community,” Scott added.
Here is the full declaration:
Baltimore, I am officially declaring a local state of emergency in response to the collapse of our Key Bridge. Our teams are mobilizing resources and working swiftly to address this crisis and ensure the safety and well-being of our community. pic.twitter.com/x6euk2SocZ
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) March 26, 2024