MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – A bridge carrying a four-lane state highway across the Mississippi river in central Minneapolis collapsed during rush hour on Wednesday, plunging cars and trucks into the river.
The bridge carrying Route 35W, which was under repair, buckled and fell into the river at about 6:10 p.m. CDT, local media reported.Witnesses said they heard a rumbling sound as the bridge collapsed into the river. Local media reported 20 to 30 injuries but initially no deaths.”First I heard this huge roar,” Leone Carstens, a nearby resident, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I was at my computer. Initially I thought, Wow was that an airplane?”Television pictures showed sections of highway leading to the bridge had also collapsed, in places crushing cars and starting fires and trucks.One witness said she saw people swimming in the water seeking safety.Huge chunks of the bridge stuck at odd angles out of the river, in places surrounded by cars half submerged in the water.A nursing supervisor at Hennepin county medical center interviewed by local WCCO radio said, “We have multiple patients. Some critical, some non-critical,” he said. Asked if there were any deaths, he said: “Not that I know of.”The road was carrying bumper to bumper traffic when the 500-foot steel arch bridge collapsed. The bridge, built in 1967, was 64 feet above the river.The Minnesota Department of Transportation told local media that 200,000 cars a day use the bridge.Local media said a school bus taking children back to the city from a field trip was among the vehicles that were involved. [Source]
___________________________________________________
[UPDATE] Three people have been confirmed dead. Apparently the bridge is 30 years old so decay is a possibility, and it’s what I think happened. I’m praying that no more people passed away. Everyone here at the Cream Filled extend our prayers to all those involved and their families. We’ll be covering this as it develops.
[UPDATE 2] Seven confirmed dead. A school bus is on the bridge, no word on whether it had any children inside. The back door is open, so hopefully everyone got out okay.
[UPDATE 3] Construction was going on near the bridge, so that MAY be a factor in the collapse. Plus there was reportedly 50-100 cars on the bridge at the time of the collapse, so weight is a factor too. Seven people is still the death toll, and as much as we want it to stay down I’m sure more people will be found in the waters of the Mississippi.
[UPDATE 4] The last inspection on the bridge was in 2004, so it seems like there will be people held accountable for the collapse. The department of transporation will be holding a press conference shortly, and we’ll be covering it here. So keep refreshing the page.
[UPDATE 5] The press conference is going on. Dr. Joseph Clinton is speaking. People are being pulled from the river and rescued, so that’s good news. The hospitals in the area are being crowded with people. They have no idea what to expect, but they do expect people to show up to hospitals within the next few hours. Children were involved in the collapse. There has been one confirmed drounding victim, and they expect more.
[UPDATE 6] More press conference news. The transportation to hospitals and to safety has been well, but comunication hasn’t been perfect. Some patients are critical, some are not. No number of children, but there has been one confirmed. No information on whether the children were seperated from thier parents. The response was quick, and Dr. Clinton knew of collapse before the news did. 22 injuries, 26 critical injuries, 1 death from drounding. Those are the confirmed numbers from Dr. Clinton’s hospital.
[UPDATE 7] Now away from the press conference. Two children and two adults have been brought into hospitals. Another news conference from the Department Of Transportation will begin shortly. Apparently there were fatigues/cracks in the bridge that were found as early as last year. A truck on the bridge has caught on fire again, but the rescuers are worrying about those in the water and trapped in between the rubble.
[UPDATE 8] The number confirmed dead seems to be at 3, but there are conflicting reports. Dr. Clinton said 1 from his hospital. An eye witness, who may have been a police officer, said 7. Several more fires have began on various cars. We’re hearing that the bridge fell in sections. It began to shake and tremble and the bridge collapsed. Reports are coming in now that severe weather is on the way. That could halt rescue efforts.
