Footage of Crimean Bridge explosion shared as Baltimore Bridge collapse

 What has happened

Early in the morning on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the Maersk container ship Dali collided with one of the towers of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, causing the bridge to collapse. Several vehicles and people fell into the water, and the incident was designated as a “mass casualty event." The Baltimore Police Chief has stated that there is no reason for considering terrorism as a cause.

What has been claimed?

Following the collapse a video began circulating on X (formerly Twitter) claiming to show the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore, but from a different angle and with a large explosion engulfing the bridge. At the time of writing, the posts garnered more than 1 million views. Examples can be seen here and here. 

Example of the viral image shared online. (Source: X/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

However, the claim is false and actually shows an explosion on the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Strait Bridge, in 2022.

In fact

Shared footage of the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse in Baltimore shows a container ship ramming into one of the towers, causing the bridge to collapse. There is no explosion seen during the collision. 

Comparably, the viral footage claiming to show an explosion is identical to the Crimean Bridge explosion in October 2022. 

Comparing the false viral footage with the actual footage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge also shows that it is not the same bridge. The point of contact for the ship does not have a steep uphill section, as seen on the Crimean Bridge. Neither does the Francis Scott Key Bridge have as many lights on the side of the road.

Furthermore, the railway bridge running parallel to the road bridge is visible in the footage, matching the Crimea Bridge. The Francis Scott Key Bridge does not have such a parallel bridge. 

The red boxes show the ship's point of contact with the Francis Scott Key Bridge and where the explosion occurred
on the Crimean Bridge respectively. In the blue box, the railway bridge running parallel to the road bridge of the Crimean Bridge is visible. (Source: X, YouTube/Screenshot/Edited by Logically Facts)

Importance of the Crimean Bridge For Russia

The Crimean Bridge was officially opened by Vladimir Putin in 2018. It connects Crimea to the Russian mainland and consists of two bridges, one for railway and one for car traffic. It is a major supply route into Crimea and crucial for supplying both the peninsula and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has repeatedly attacked the bridge since the invasion using both unmanned sea drones and missiles. The bridge was badly damaged in an explosion on October 8, 2022, caused by a truck bomb. The Ukrainian Secret Service claimed responsibility for the blast in July of the following year. 

Verdict

The shared footage shows the attack on the Crimean Bridge in Crimea from October 8, 2022, not the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.