TAMPA, Fla. — Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early Tuesday morning when a container ship struck one of its supports. It was a scene reminiscent of the 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in Tampa Bay.
Video showed the Key Bridge, named for the writer of the national anthem, crumble into the Patapsco River below. First responders were searching for at least seven people – possibly more – after sonar showed several vehicles in the water.
A Baltimore Fire Department spokesperson described the situation as “a dire emergency,” saying the city’s focus was “trying to rescue and recover these people.”
This will have major impacts because the bridge was one of just three toll crossings for the busy Baltimore Harbor. Traffic is being rerouted to the tunnels, which cannot accommodate vehicles transporting hazardous materials and have height and width restrictions.
An investigation will determine what factors led to the Singapore-flagged ship, which was named Dali, crashing into the Key Bridge.
For people living in the Tampa Bay region, the Key Bridge collapse was an especially eerie scene that was similar to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse nearly 44 years ago.
Visibility was much lower on the morning of May 9, 1980, when the 19,734-ton Summit Venture struck a support column of the old Skyway Bridge during rush hour. Six cars, a truck and a Greyhound bus plunged into the water, killing 35 people.
The youngest victim was a baby. The oldest was 92.
One man survived the fall from the Skyway when his pickup truck bounced off the bow of the freighter ship. The crew was able to pull him to safety.
In the case of the Skyway collapse, the ship was guided by a harbor pilot who was helping guide the vessel from the Gulf of Mexico to what was then called the Port of Tampa. The ship's radar had been knocked out by a storm.
Crews tore down most of what remained of the old Skyway Bridge. They left both ends, which were converted into the fishing piers seen today.
Engineers built the current Skyway Bridge in a “better” location, raised its height to let ships more easily pass underneath, and added nearly three dozen bumpers to protect it from any future crashes.
A memorial sits on the Pinellas County side, recognizing those who died.
"The Skyway Bridge Disaster,” a documentary detailing the Skyway collapse, premiered in 2019. Filmmakers Frankie Vandeboe and Steve Yerrid detailed what happened after the crash, including the "courtroom drama" that ensued.
TEGNA's Stephen Adams, The Associated Press and former 10 Tampa Bay digital journalist Jillian Olsen contributed to this report.