The early-morning catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, has brought one of the most important trade hubs in the United States to a halt — indefinitely. 

A 948-foot container ship called the Dali hit a support column on the Baltimore bridge around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, causing it to fall and sending at least seven cars plunging into the Patapsco River. The Dali had been headed to Sri Lanka and was flying under a Singapore flag.