Bridge that collapsed in Baltimore: several precedents in the United States (I)

A container ship hit a large bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, causing it to plunge into the river below.

From 1960 to 2015, 35 major bridges collapsed worldwide following a collision with a ship or barge, killing a total of 342 people, according to a 2018 report from the World Infrastructure Association waterborne transport infrastructure (World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure). Eighteen of these collapses occurred in the United States.

Here is a list of notable disasters involving ships or barges that struck bridges in the United States:

POPP'S FERRY BRIDGE

March 20, 2009: A ship pushing eight barges struck Popp's Ferry Bridge in Biloxi, Mississippi, causing a 150-foot section of the bridge to collapse into the bay.

INTERSTATE 40 BRIDGE: 14 DEAD

May 26, 2002: A barge struck the Interstate 40 bridge over the Arkansas River in Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, causing a 500-foot section of the road to collapse and plunging vehicles into the water . Fourteen people died and 11 were injured.

QUEEN ISABELLA CAUSEWAY: 8 DEAD

September 15, 2001: A tugboat and barge struck the Queen Isabella Causeway in Port Isabel, Texas, causing a midsection of the 80-foot bridge to fall into the bay below. Eight people died after motorists drove into the hole.

(to be continued)

Black swan, the new internet trend after the Baltimore bridge collapse

Extreme-right commentators are claiming Tuesday's dramatic collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is a "black swan" event, a niche phrase that has recently captured the imagination of internet conspiracy theorists.

What conspiracy theories are circulating on social media

"The ship was the target of a cyber attack. They turn off the lights and head deliberately towards the bridge supports. US foreign agents attack digital infrastructures. Nothing is certain,” wrote Andrew Tate on X, about six hours after the container ship collided with the bridge. "The Black Swan Event is imminent."

"This is a BLACK SWAN event," General Mike Flynn, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, also wrote on X. Others, including Benny Johnson, Laura Loomer, and some verified QAnon-affiliated accounts, can be found on a search quickly with the "black swan event", with many claiming that the bridge collapse was an act of terrorism.

"It looks deliberate to me. It's probably a cyber attack. World War III has already begun,” Alex Jones of Infowars wrote on X in response to Andrew Tate's post.