Key Bridge, Baltimore, has collapsed.

[LangleyBlue1970]

Absolutely, the poor people involved in that, my heart goes out to them. Life is so bloody random we should cherish every moment.
I found the report of one of the ferry incidents.

38 injured as Channel ferry hits dock

A cross-channel ferry hit a dock at Calais yesterday, injuring 38 people.

www.theguardian.com

Vaguely remember that being on the news.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

The usual BBC stupid question to a structural engineer ...

How easy is it for bridges of these types to fall down when struck by one of these ships?

 

[Coatigan]

Look like they have yellow flashing lights on so I am guessing maintenance crews possibly. Those bridges look real flimsy to me, the right hand side just pops off it's anchoring.

Flimsy? Don't think there is a bridge in the world that takes the momentum of a cargo ship to its suppost and stays up.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

The lights didn’t go out until the ship hit the bridge, and it collapsed onto the ship.

There is a clip of it sailing out, lights go out and then it veers right and heads into the column.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

Despite this being from a conspiracy nut, it clearly shows the lights going out before impact. Video is sped up.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

There is a clip of it sailing out, lights go out and then it veers right and heads into the column.

I’m only going from the video in the first post, but it looks like lights are on the ship until it hits the bridge, then the bridge falling on the ship shuts the lights down.

CNN reporting vehicles fell into the water and they’re searching for up to 20 people. The water is COLD!!!

EDIT: In the video above, there are lights on the ship, but it could be emergency lighting, available via battery power with a main power cut.

Not sure, hard to tell, but it does look like the ship is moving directly towards the support.m, so possibly not under rudder/steering control.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Reports of workers in the water, along with vehicles. Bridge was struck by a cargo ship.

Cargo ship registered in Liverpool?

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Despite this being from a conspiracy nut, it clearly shows the lights going out before impact. Video is sped up.

Looks to me like the vessel got through and then reversed back into the stantion. I'm sure better qualified mariners would put me right...or are we all thinking something more sinister here.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

I’m only going from the video in the first post, but it looks like lights are on the ship until it hits the bridge, then the bridge falling on the ship shuts the lights down.

CNN reporting vehicles fell into the water and they’re searching for up to 20 people. The water is COLD!!!

Whatever the cause, that is the worse part. Those poor people going into pitch black, freezing cold water from that height.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Flimsy? Don't think there is a bridge in the world that takes the momentum of a cargo ship to it suppost and stays up.

There's an engineer on BBC at the moment talking about how progress has been made to help reduce damage to bridges being struck like this since this one was built in the seventies. Some of this can be retro-fitted, so therefore some will get damaged less than others.