Following the collapse, both Scott and Maryland Governor Wes Moore have declared states of emergency. Various federal, state, and local officials, including agencies like the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board, are en route to the scene.

During an early briefing, Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Widefield mentioned that the FBI is present on-site "to see if there was any terrorism connection, which there is not." He emphasized that the FBI's involvement is a precautionary measure typically taken in the initial phases of investigations.

"There is no specific or credible information indicating ties to terrorism in this incident," stated William J. DelBagno, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore field office, during a subsequent press conference on Tuesday morning.

Gov. Moore, speaking at a news conference, mentioned, "We are still investigating what happened, but we are quickly gathering details. The initial findings suggest an accident. There is no credible evidence of a terrorist attack at this time."

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas shared on social media earlier that his office is "closely monitoring the tragic situation" and assured that there are "no indications that this was an intentional act." 

Simultaneously, the National Transportation and Safety Board dispatched a team to investigate the bridge collapse. Further details regarding the investigation will be provided at a briefing later today.

According to James Mercante, the president of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, if a ship loses steering and power, it becomes a "dead ship" that is carried by the current or its own momentum. The Dali was approaching the bridge at a speed of 8 knots, a rate authorities deemed "very rapid."

"It would take quite a while — probably the length of five [or] six football fields — to bring that ship to a stop, even after dropping the anchors, because of its power and momentum. This is a behemoth," Mercante explained.

Authorities confirmed that the overnight maintenance work done was not related to any structural issues affecting the bridge itself.

Bridge Inspection Report

The most recent federal inspection report for the Francis Scott Key Bridge, filed in May 2022, revealed that the bridge span received a score of 6 out of 9, indicating a "fair" condition.

Search and Rescue Operation

The U.S. Coast Guard continued its active search for missing individuals on Tuesday morning, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the agency.

During an earlier briefing, Baltimore City Fire Chief James Wallace reported that two individuals had been successfully rescued from the river. However, authorities suspected that there were initially seven more individuals missing, a number later revised to six.

Chief Wallace mentioned that one of the rescued individuals escaped unharmed, while the other sustained "very serious" injuries. The injured person was rushed to the University of Maryland Medical Center for treatment and has been unable to communicate with investigators thus far.

The search efforts were concentrated on both the water and the ship deck at the time of the briefing. Sonar technology indicated the presence of vehicles submerged under the river's surface, and crew members remained aboard the vessel.

Authorities clarified that all the missing individuals were part of the construction crew working on the bridge during the collision with the ship.

Water in the Patapsco was 48 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Experts warn that submersion in waters at this temperature is extremely dangerous without proper protective gear, even for relatively short periods of time.

State authorities said that the portion of the river where the bridge collapsed is about 50 feet deep.

What type of bridge is it?

The Francis Scott Key Bridge features steel arches and is one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Construction on the Francis Scott Key Bridge began in 1972, and it opened to traffic on March 23, 1977.

The span over the Patapsco River is 1.6 miles long. Including its connecting approaches, the full bridge project is 10.9 miles in length. For decades it served as a daily commute route for tens of thousands of people.

The Patapsco is a 39-mile river that weaves through central Maryland into the Chesapeake Bay. Part of the waterway forms the harbor in Baltimore and directly serves the city's main port, which is a major domestic and international shipping hub that is especially vital to the shipping network along the East Coast of the U.S.

The bridge, originally known as the Outer Harbor Crossing, is named after Francis Scott Key, the composer of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

According to historical records, the Maryland Transportation Authority reveals that the bridge is believed to be built within 100 yards of the location where Francis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry on the evening of Sept. 12, 1814. This significant event inspired Key to compose what later became the national anthem of the United States.

Where did the cargo vessel come from?

The 948-foot container ship, known as Dali, was departing from Baltimore en route to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, when it collided, as reported by the MidAtlantic Coast Guard to CBS News.

The vessel is under a time charter with the Danish shipping corporation Maersk and is managed by Synergy Marine Group, a charter vessel firm. Synergy mentioned in a statement that they had activated their incident response team and were fully cooperating with both Federal and State government bodies as per an approved protocol. The company stated that the Dali was being steered by two pilots, although their identities were not yet disclosed. All twenty-two crew members aboard the vessel are Indian nationals, according to Synergy.

In a separate announcement, Maersk expressed being "horrified by the incident in Baltimore" and stated that they are closely monitoring the investigations being carried out by the authorities and Synergy. Maersk clarified that none of their personnel or crew were present on the ship at the time of the accident; however, the Dali was transporting cargo for Maersk customers.

A shocking discovery was made today as archaeologists unearthed a hidden tomb containing a mysterious sarcophagus. The tomb, located in a remote area, is believed to date back to ancient times and is shrouded in mystery. The sarcophagus, adorned with intricate carvings and symbols, has left experts puzzled about its origins and the identity of the person buried within. The discovery has sparked a wave of excitement in the archaeological community, with many eager to unlock the secrets hidden within the ancient tomb.