#Update 8:22pm:
According to Baltimore City Fire, crews responded to reports of an explosion on a commercial vessel near the Key Bridge site.
They saw evidence of a fire and explosion when they arrived at the scene of the W-Sapphire 751-foot bulk carrier.
All 23 people aboard the carrier were accounted for and uninjured.
Authorities say this is a unified incident involving the ship’s owner, the Baltimore City Fire Department, the Port of Baltimore, and the United States Coast Guard.
Fireboats remain on scene as the Coast Guard and other agencies begin their investigation.
The W-Sapphire will be moved to a designated anchorage area and held there until cleared by the Coast Guard.
The BCFD operates the region’s only full-time fireboat capable of responding to not only fires but also any maritime emergency on the Chesapeake Bay. The 87-foot John R. Frazier was acquired in 2007 through federal grant funding and supports both the City of Baltimore and the Port of Baltimore.
Original Article:
Baltimore County Fire has confirmed there has been an explosion on a coal freighter near the site of the Key Bridge.
Authorities say the Coast Guard is on the way to inspect the scene.
County Fire believes the fire is out at this time.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
