The 1.6-mile (2.57km) long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, has partially collapsed after a ship hit it, and as many as seven people may be in the water, officials said on Tuesday.

A live video posted on YouTube showed a ship hitting the bridge, after which major portions of the spans collapsed into the Patapsco River. Unverified videos posted on social media X also showed the impact and collapse. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

The Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a mass-casualty incident, and said workers were searching for seven people in the river.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Baltimore police said they had been notified of the incident at 1.35am ET (535 GMT) on Tuesday.

The Associated Press reported that multiple vehicles had fallen into the water.

Ship tracking data from LSEG shows a Singapore-flagged container ship, the Dali, at the location along the Key Bridge where the accident occurred. The registered owner of the ship is Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and the manager is Synergy Marine Group, LSEG data show.

Synergy said it would issue a statement on the incident. Reuters could not immediately reach Grace Ocean for comment.

"All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured," Maryland Transportation Authority said in a post on X.

"I'm aware of and en route to the incident at the Key Bridge... Emergency personnel are on scene, and efforts are underway," Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott on X.
 

  - Reuters