Major Baltimore bridge collapses after container ship collision, 6 presumed dead

A major Baltimore bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was hit by a large container ship.

Six people were missing after the collision at the Francis Scott Key Bridge, according to Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland's transportation secretary. Two people were rescued, with one transported to a trauma center in serious condition. The missing people may have fallen into the water.

Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent for Maryland State Police, said at a press conference late Tuesday that the search and rescue effort was transitioning to a search and recovery mission. Butler said that divers would return to the site at 6 a.m.

Jeffrey Pritzker, the executive vice president of construction company Brawner Builders, told NBC News on Tuesday evening that the six workers are presumed dead. Pritzker said there was one survivor, but the company is not immediately releasing names.

The bridge carries Interstate 695 across the Patapsco River, southeast of the Baltimore metropolitan area.

The ship, the DALI, hit the bridge at around 1:30 a.m. ET,  when contractors were working on the bridge, according to Wiedefeld. The missing people are believed to be the construction crew who were repairing potholes on the bridge.

The ship's crew made a mayday call just before the crash which stopped cars from coming over the bridge, according to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

"These people are heroes," Moore said. "They saved lives."

Wiedefeld said that vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice.

"This is a very large incident, it involves a very large footprint," Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James W. Wallace said in a press briefing.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collapse and has a team