Mar 26, Kathmandu- The Francis Scott Key Bridge (Bridge) in the American city of Baltimore has been damaged after a cargo ship collided. Several vehicles fell into the river when the bridge collapsed.

Rescuers are searching for 20 people who fell into the water, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority. The Authority has mentioned on the social network X, citing the Interstate Highway Administration, that the I-695 Key Bridge has been partially damaged due to the collision of the watercraft.

The authority has asked motorists not to use the bridge through a video message. The authority said that due to the damage to the bridge, the roads on both sides of the bridge were closed.

A spokesperson for the Baltimore Police Department told NBC News that some people may be missing after falling into the river.

Local authorities said that at least 20 people are missing after falling into the river. However, they say that the full details of how many people are missing have not been received.

Marine Traffic, a website that provides information about vessels, reported that the Singapore-flagged container ship Dali had crashed under the bridge on Tuesday morning. According to Marine Traffic, the ship is about 300 meters (984 ft) long and about 48 meters (157 ft) wide.

"The container ship Daly struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge at 1:27 p.m. and the bridge subsequently collapsed," said Kimberly Reeves, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard's Fifth District, in a statement.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Schott and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said emergency crews were dispatched to rescue operations as soon as they were notified of the incident.