Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace says two people were pulled from the water after the bridge collapse.
He said one was in serious condition and the other was not seriously injured.
Wallace said authorities “may be looking for upwards of seven people” but he said that number could change.
The temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Earlier, Kevin Cartwright, director of communications for the Baltimore Fire Department, told The Associated Press that several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, including one the size of a tractor-trailer truck.
He called the collapse a “developing mass casualty event,” though he didn’t know at the time how many people were affected.
The mayor of Baltimore has declared a state of emergency in response to the bridge collapse.
Mayor Brandon Scott, a Democrat, issued an executive order Tuesday morning to deploy and expand emergency resources. The state of emergency will remain in place for 30 days and is subject to renewal or cancellation as conditions warrant.
The President has been briefed on the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and the ongoing search and rescue efforts. He will continue to receive updates from his team throughout the day.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is also on site at the bridge, per the governor’s spokesman.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she reached out to Moore and offered any assistance New York can provide. Hochul said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that New York’s harbor “stands ready to assist, any way we can continue the flow of commerce so it’s not disrupted.”
Take a look at the footage apparently showing the bridge collapsing in the early morning. Be warned. These videos may be disturbing.
BREAKING: Ship collides with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse pic.twitter.com/OcOrSjOCRn
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 26, 2024
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed around 1:40 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday after being hit by a cargo ship, with large parts of the bridge falling into the Patapsco River.
The Baltimore Fire Department labeled the incident a “mass casualty event.”… pic.twitter.com/HrN429Arvj
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 26, 2024
The Associated Press contributed to this article.