Baltimore’s Dali cargo ship sent desperate mayday before vid shows it losing power & crash into Francis Scott Key Bridge

BALTIMORE'S Dali cargo ship sent a desperate mayday call before crashing into Francis Scott Key Bridge, officials have confirmed.

Video shows the vessel appearing to lose all power prior to colliding with part of the structure in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The bridge almost immediately plunged into the Patapsco River below as the shock horror unfolded.

Two people have been rescued but a major search operation remains underway to locate a further six.

Terrifying footage captured the moment of the cargo ship blackout as smoke billowed out from one of the engine funnels.

According to officials, the cargo ship had issued a mayday call after losing power.

But Maryland governor Wes Moore said the boat was travelling too quickly for the bridge to be closed in time.

However, he added that those who received the distress call prevented vehicles from coming onto the bridge.

"Those people are heroes, they saved lives," he said.

A number of cars plunged into the ice cold water as the bridge collapsed but it's not thought there is anyone trapped inside a vehicle.

The dramatic footage reveals the key moments before the 1.6 mile bridge snapped and fell into the water at around 1.30am local time (5.30am GMT).

The Dali cargo ship, flying the flag of Singapore, had only just left the Port of Baltimore, setting sail for its 27-day voyage to Sri Lanka, when tragedy struck.

The heavily laden vessel collided with one of The Francis Scott Key Bridge's support piers in what local officials described as a scene out of a horror movie.

A level-one mass casualty event has been declared - with dive teams frantically searching for around 20 people believed to be in the water.

The cause of the crash is "yet to be determined", the ship's managers said.

The headlights of vehicles could be seen on the bridge as it crashed into the water and the ship caught fire.

Baltimore officials said at least seven vehicles plunged 184ft into the water - and six people remain unaccounted for and could be in the freezing river.

Firefighters used sonar to detect that at least five vehicles were submerged in the bottom of the Patapsco River.

Brandon Scott, the mayor of Baltimore, described the tragedy as unthinkable.

"Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that," he said.

"It looked like something out of an action movie."

Two people have been removed from the water, James Wallace, the Baltimore fire chief, said.

One person refused treatment, while the other is in a serious condition and has been rushed to the hospital.

As day broke, shocking aerial pictures revealed the mangled wreckage of the metal bridge splayed out across the water.

All of the Dali's crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.

A state of emergency has been declared but authorities do not suspect any terrorism links.

Baltimore Police chief Richard Worley said: "There is absolutely no indication that there's any terrorism, that this was done on purpose."

Witnesses said they heard a bang after the ship hit the bridge.

"The bridge is gone, holy hell," Bobby Gattus said in a video shared by the BBC.

Retired structural iron worker Priscilla Thompson told the outlet she was "devastated" at the loss of the bridge.

"It shook the entire house. It was catastrophic," she said.

"It was a beautiful bridge, so fortified and so straight from every angle, the pride and glory, the bridge of bridges".

Meanwhile, Michael Brown said he thought he was being fooled when someone told him the bridge had collapsed.

"I came down just to see and I can't believe it. It's a major artery here in the area, not only for traffic but for the port," he told NBC.

The White House released a statement, saying: "The US Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue for those who remain unaccounted for as a result of the bridge collapse."

It continued: "Our hearts go out to the families of those who remain missing as a result of this horrific incident...

"Senior White House officials are in touch with the governor and mayor to offer any federal assistance they need. There is no indication of any nefarious intent."