About 1:30AM local time, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the US city of Baltimore collapsed after being struck by a container ship.

The loaded ship reportedly suffered a power issue just prior to the incident, alerting a mayday just in time to stop traffic from crossing the bridge.

Tragically, eight roadworkers were still working on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Two were rescued, one body has been recovered, while searches for the remaining have been suspended until morning. Authorities have said they are presumed dead.

On this episode of The Briefing, Bension Siebert speaks with the Chair of the Insititute of Structural Engineers, Colin Caprani, about why the bridge collapsed, and whether the same could happen here in Australia.