CHILLING footage shows the trail of destruction left in the wake of the horror Baltimore bridge collapse.
Six construction workers are presumed dead after plunging into icy water when a cargo ship smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The ship lost power and rammed into the major bridge early on Tuesday.
In less than 40 seconds, the entire crossing collapsed into the river and at least six workers filling potholes on the bridge plummeted into the Patapsco River.
Rescue crews launched a frantic search for those missing - but the efforts were suspended until Wednesday morning.
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Devastating footage has now laid bare the scale of destruction left.
Aerial shots show the scope of the scene - with mangled pieces of the bridge seen sticking out from the water.
Around two minutes into the video, the camera pans to the point of impact.
The MV Dali, a Singapore-registered container ship, sits on the water as debris shows the twisted metal from the crash.
Just moments before smashing into the bridge, the ship's crew issued a mayday call.
The desperate move could have saved lives as authorities were able to limit vehicle traffic on the span, Maryland's governor said.
As the vessel neared the bridge, puffs of black smoke could be seen as lights flickered on and off.
It then struck one of the bridge's supports, causing the structure to give way.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said: "With the ship barreling toward the bridge at a very, very rapid speed, authorities had just enough time to stop cars from coming over the bridge.
"These people are heroes. They saved lives last night."
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The search for those missing has now transitioned into a recovery mission rather than rescue, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent for Maryland State Police, announced.
He said divers would return to the site at 6am on Wednesday, when challenging overnight conditions were expected to have improved.
Authorities said based on the amount of time that's passed since the bridge collapsed and the freezing water temperatures, it is unlikely any of those missing will be found alive.
No bodies have been recovered, Butler said.
He added: "At this point, we do not know where they are.
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"but we intend to give it our best effort to help these families find closure."
Rescuers pulled two people out of the water, one of whom was treated at a hospital and discharged hours later.
Multiple vehicles also went into the river, although authorities did not believe anyone was inside.
The crash happened in the middle of the night, long before the busy morning commute on the bridge that stretches 2.6km and was used by 12 million vehicles last year.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described the incident as an "unthinkable tragedy".
He said: "Never did you think you would see the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of a movie. Our focus should be the preservation of life."
Mayor Scott said a preliminary investigation suggested the collision was an accident.
The FBI has ruled out the incident was linked to a terror attack.
The ship's management company, Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, said the crew onboard dropped its anchor before impact as part of their emergency efforts to avoid the collision.
