Major Highway Bridge Collapses in Mineapolis During Rush Hour: Many Injured

[Rayne]

Local News Overview

Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Into Mississippi River
I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapses near Univ. of Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS -- A freeway bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed during evening rush hour Wednesday, sending cars into the water.

20 to 30 construction workers were on the bridge. Hennepin County Medical Center reports at least 15 injuries, but no deaths. At least 50 cars are reported to be in the Mississippi River.


Tons of concrete collapsed and there were injuries, authorities said. Survivors were being carried up the riverbank. Black smoke and fire is visible underneath the bridge and streams of gasoline are visible in the rising smoke and streams of gasoline in the river.


Some people were stranded on parts of the bridge that weren't completely submerged.


The entire span of the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed about 6:05 p.m. where the freeway crosses the river near University Avenue.

Other accounts:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079534/
http://wcco.com/local/local_story_213191448.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/01/bridge.collapse/index.html *

*CNN confirms 3 are now dead from this tragedy.



I'd sure hate to be the engineer to take the blame for this fall.. yikes.

 

[Stark]

Technically, only one person has been confirmed dead by the local hospitals. The victim died from drowning and was pronounced DOA at the hospital.

Still this is a horrible tragedy. Unfortunately, cell phones are are useless as far as getting information since the cell phone traffic in the area is too heavy to get a clear signal. I can only hope that no one I know was on that bridge when it fell.

Here are a few links to the local media sites that are being updated as soon as new information is available.
Star Tribune
Pioneer Press
WCCO
KSTP
KARE

 

[Chosen of Mana]

Dude... I was just on that bridge 2 days ago! o.o

 

[Stark]

I was on it a couple times last week and have a very good friend that lives near there who drives on it all of the time.

 

[Fig]

Wow...we had a similar case just some time ago in Québec (it was an overpass, not a bridge, though)

 

[Stark]

At least 6 people have been confirmed dead now. Still no cell phone reception. Fortunately, the storm that was headed that way turned North at the last minute. However, it's dark now, so rescue crews are going start having a difficult time. I wish them the best.

 

[GrnMarvl14]

Wow...we had a similar case just some time ago in Québec (it was an overpass, not a bridge, though)

We had one a couple of years ago as well. Granted it was because a barge ran into the bridge, but a collapse is a collapse.

I wonder if there was an actual cause for this, or if it was just one of those...freak things. It's horrible either way. Always hard to drive over a bridge after something like this happens. Makes me paranoid.

 

[Fig]

Up now to seven death, sixty taken to hospitals, rescue ops halted for the night.

 

[Typhlosion In Repose]

I heard that earlier on the news... Freakin' terrible...

 

[eX.A.K.R.]

Wow...we had a similar case just some time ago in Québec (it was an overpass, not a bridge, though)

Not only in your country, Figment, but right here in Singapore we have something quite similar, even though the road rested on terra firma - a major aterial roadway collasped when under-construction subway tunnels beneath it went down. Quite luckily, no other people other than three construction workers died in that incident.

 

[Bp.]

As of this morning, at least nine dead, sixty are injured and twenty missing.

Around fifty or sixty vehicles were on the bridge when it collapsed, including a school bus carrying sixty children.

Scary stuff...

 

[Shuko]

I'm going to Minnesota next week for vacation. We would have taken that bridge to go to several of the destinations we intended, but now we'll have to loop around the city. None of my relatives up there were on the bridge, but my aunt had called in sick to work, and would have taken that route home in the evening had she gone. It's all very surreal. I've seen the photos and all, but it just doesn't seem like it could happen. I wish there was a way to undo everything. :/