PHOTOS: Maryland's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse

The Baltimore, Maryland, bridge collapse was caused by a cargo ship striking a support beam

A "ship strike" caused the Francis Scott Key Bridge along I-695 in Maryland to collapse early Tuesday morning, sending the structure and cars on the bridge into the Baltimore harbor. A search and rescue mission is underway.

A livestream of the bridge at about 1:30 a.m. showed a cargo ship colliding with a support beam, causing the bridge to break apart and fall into the Patapsco River. Multiple vehicles were on the bridge at the time, but no update on casualties has been offered. The following pictures chronicle the disaster. 

VESSEL THAT STRUCK BALTIMORE BRIDGE HAS HISTORY OF MISHAPS