VIDEO: Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses after ship collides

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland collapsed, on early Tuesday morning after a ship collided with it, sending dozens of cars flying into the water, AFP reported.

The Baltimore city fire department have reported that 20 people and several vehicles have fallen in the water and rescue operations are under way.

Two people have been rescued, with one of them “severely” injured according to The Guardian.

The director of communications for the Baltimore fire department, Kevin Cartwright described the collapse as a "developing mass casualty event," and said, "Our focus right now is trying to rescue and recover these people".

He said that "some cargo or retainers are hanging from the bridge", creating unsafe and unstable conditions and complicating the rescue operation.

According to videos circulating on social media, at about 1:30am (US time), a vessel crashed into the bridge, catching fire before sinking and causing multiple vehicles to fall into the water below.

The 300m long vessel was on its way to Colombo and had left the terminal at port Breeze at around 12:45am.

The Maryland Transportation Authority posted a statement on social media X writing, “I-695 Key Bridge collapse due to ship strike," and urged drivers to avoid the route over the Patapsco River, which it called an "active scene".

Through the 2,632m long bridge, some 11 million vehicles travel per year.