A bridge in the US city of Baltimore has collapsed after a large cargo ship collided with it, as countless people are missing and cars were sent into the water.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge came crashing down in the early hours of the morning, as footage on social media caught the dramatic moment which caused panic.
Multiple vehicles are said to have fallen into the water below with rescue crews saying they are looking to find at least seven people.
According to reports the incident occurred at around 1.30am, when the vessel crashed into the bridge before catching fire and sinking.
The Maryland Transportation Authority said: “All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured.”
Mayor Brandon M Scott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr posted that emergency personnel were responding and rescue efforts were underway.
Emergency responders were searching for at least seven people believed to be in the water, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told the Associated Press around 3am.
He said agencies received 911 calls around 1.30am reporting a vessel travelling outbound from Baltimore that had struck a column on the bridge, causing it to collapse.
Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time. Cartwright said: “Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people.”
He said it is too early to know how many people were affected but called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event”.
Mr Cartwright said it appears there are “some cargo or retainers hanging from the bridge”, creating unsafe and unstable conditions, and that emergency responders are operating cautiously as a result.
“This is a dire emergency,” he said.
With contribution from the Press Association/Associated Press