News of the early morning bridge collapse in Baltimore is reminding many longtime Florida residents of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster nearly 44 years ago.
NPR reports, the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a large cargo ship. The Baltimore Fire Department began receiving 911 calls at about 1:30 a.m. Several vehicles on the bridge fell into the river below and the ship caught fire.
Similarly, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay collapsed on May 9, 1980, after it was struck by the freighter Summit Venture during a freak storm that reduced visibility to nearly zero. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse led to seven vehicles, including a Greyhound Bus, plunging 150 feet into the waters of Tampa Bay. Thirty-five people died.
At the Baltimore bridge disaster site, emergency responders in Baltimore remained in rescue and recovery mode as of Tuesday morning as they searched for people in the waters of the Patapsco River.
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