Washington, Mar 26 (IANS): The Francis Scott Key Bridge in the US city of Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday after a large ship collided with it, and local authorities were trying to rescue at least seven people.

According to a video posted on X, a large ship crashed into the bridge and caught fire before sinking, sending several vehicles into the Patapsco river, Xinhua news agency reported.

"All lanes closed both directions for incident on I-695 Key Bridge. Traffic is being detoured," the Maryland Transportation Authority posted on X.

The Baltimore Fire Department's communication director Kevin Cartwright said that emergency responders were searching for at least seven people who were believed to be in the water, according to the Associated Press.

Authorities received 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. local time reporting that a ship travelling outbound from Baltimore had struck a pillar on the bridge, causing it to collapse, while several vehicles were on the bridge at the time, Cartwright added.