Officials able to stop traffic, but search on for six workers on bridge at time of impact

The massive cargo ship that smashed into a bridge while sailing out of Baltimore early yesterday sent cars and people into the river below and closed one of the busiest ports on the US Eastern Seaboard.

Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one of whom was hospitalised, and searched for more in the Patapsco River after huge metal spans of the 2.5km Francis Scott Key Bridge crumpled into the icy water at around 1.30am.