lonewolfxix
08-02-2007, 09:10 AM
MINNEAPOLIS - Federal officials and Minnesota lawmakers prepared to travel to the Twin Cities Thursday to begin investigating the collapse of an interstate bridge into the Mississippi River. On the ground in Minneapolis, emergency personnel moved from rescuing individuals to recovering bodies.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed fatalities was lowered to four, police Lt. Amelia Huffman told MSNBC, but authorities said they expect the number to change throughout the day.
Initial reports of more deaths were based on the best estimates authorities had Wednesday night, Huffman said. The Associated Press had reported seven deaths, while the hometown newspaper The Star-Tribune reported that nine people had been confirmed dead.
Another 60 people had been taken to hospitals and at least 20 remained missing early Thursday, The Star-Tribune reported.
More than 20 families gathered in a hotel ballroom early Thursday morning, waiting for word on loved ones who couldn't be located.
Asked about the possibility of finding more survivors, Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said, ?The likelihood is fairly slim.?
?We think there are several more vehicles in the river we can?t see yet,? Clack said.
The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, which broke into sections and fell into the river below during evening bumper-to-bumper traffic, is a major Minneapolis artery that carries more than 200,000 vehicles a day. It was in the midst of being repaired and two lanes in each direction were closed when the bridge buckled.
By 1 a.m. CT Thursday, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said all search efforts had been called off for the night and that officials didn?t expect to find any more survivors. ?It?s dark, it?s not safe with the currents in the water and the concrete and rebar,? he said.
What caused the collapse?
The National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark Rosenker and a team of investigators were being sent to the site, NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said.
Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters was flying to the Twin Cities early Thursday morning along with the state?s two U.S. senators, Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Amy Klobuchar.
http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/USNEWS/070801/MinneapolisBridge645p.gif
?The DOT role is to provide technical support and financial assistance,? said department spokesman Brian Turmail.
While the focus has to be on emergency response, Coleman said, authorities will have to also set up a transportation system.
?Down the road, they will be doing full a forensic analysis to see what caused this,? Coleman said.
?Catastrophe of historic proportions?
Search lights on the banks illuminated a horrific scene of twisted wreckage, thick concrete slabs, twisted steel and crushed cars tossed about haphazardly. A line of ambulances idled along the adjacent bridge.
?Obviously, this is a catastrophe of historic proportions for Minnesota,? said Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Pawlenty said the 40-year-old bridge was inspected by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 2005 and 2006 and that no immediate structural problems were noted. ?There were some minor things that needed attention,? he said.
Road crews were working on the bridge?s joints, guardrails and lights this week, with lane closures overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Aerial shots from local television stations showed the entire span of Interstate 35W had crumpled into the river below. Some injured people were carried up the riverbank, while emergency workers tended to others on the ground and some jumped into the water to look for survivors. Fire and black smoke rose from the wreckage.
NBC News reported that every Minneapolis ambulance had been requested to the scene immediately after the collapse.
"This will be a very tragic night when this is over," Mayor R.T. Rybak said.
A freight train was passing under the bridge when it collapsed and was cut in two, witnesses on the scene reported to MSNBC.
Children escape bus
A school bus had just crossed the midsection of the bridge before it collapsed. The bus did not go into the water, and broadcast reports indicated the children on the bus exited out the back door.
Christine Swift?s 10-year-old daughter, Kaleigh, was on the bus, returning from a field trip to Bunker Hills in Blaine. She said her daughter called her about 6:10 p.m.
?She was screaming, ?The bridge collapsed,?? Swift said. All 60 kids got off the bus safely, but about 10 of the children were injured, officials said.
Continued: 'A whole bunch of cars went down' (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20085333/page/2/)
Source: 4 dead in Minneapolis Bridge collapse (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20085333/)
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed fatalities was lowered to four, police Lt. Amelia Huffman told MSNBC, but authorities said they expect the number to change throughout the day.
Initial reports of more deaths were based on the best estimates authorities had Wednesday night, Huffman said. The Associated Press had reported seven deaths, while the hometown newspaper The Star-Tribune reported that nine people had been confirmed dead.
Another 60 people had been taken to hospitals and at least 20 remained missing early Thursday, The Star-Tribune reported.
More than 20 families gathered in a hotel ballroom early Thursday morning, waiting for word on loved ones who couldn't be located.
Asked about the possibility of finding more survivors, Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said, ?The likelihood is fairly slim.?
?We think there are several more vehicles in the river we can?t see yet,? Clack said.
The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, which broke into sections and fell into the river below during evening bumper-to-bumper traffic, is a major Minneapolis artery that carries more than 200,000 vehicles a day. It was in the midst of being repaired and two lanes in each direction were closed when the bridge buckled.
By 1 a.m. CT Thursday, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek said all search efforts had been called off for the night and that officials didn?t expect to find any more survivors. ?It?s dark, it?s not safe with the currents in the water and the concrete and rebar,? he said.
What caused the collapse?
The National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark Rosenker and a team of investigators were being sent to the site, NTSB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said.
Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters was flying to the Twin Cities early Thursday morning along with the state?s two U.S. senators, Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Amy Klobuchar.
http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/i/msnbc/Components/Art/USNEWS/070801/MinneapolisBridge645p.gif
?The DOT role is to provide technical support and financial assistance,? said department spokesman Brian Turmail.
While the focus has to be on emergency response, Coleman said, authorities will have to also set up a transportation system.
?Down the road, they will be doing full a forensic analysis to see what caused this,? Coleman said.
?Catastrophe of historic proportions?
Search lights on the banks illuminated a horrific scene of twisted wreckage, thick concrete slabs, twisted steel and crushed cars tossed about haphazardly. A line of ambulances idled along the adjacent bridge.
?Obviously, this is a catastrophe of historic proportions for Minnesota,? said Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Pawlenty said the 40-year-old bridge was inspected by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 2005 and 2006 and that no immediate structural problems were noted. ?There were some minor things that needed attention,? he said.
Road crews were working on the bridge?s joints, guardrails and lights this week, with lane closures overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Aerial shots from local television stations showed the entire span of Interstate 35W had crumpled into the river below. Some injured people were carried up the riverbank, while emergency workers tended to others on the ground and some jumped into the water to look for survivors. Fire and black smoke rose from the wreckage.
NBC News reported that every Minneapolis ambulance had been requested to the scene immediately after the collapse.
"This will be a very tragic night when this is over," Mayor R.T. Rybak said.
A freight train was passing under the bridge when it collapsed and was cut in two, witnesses on the scene reported to MSNBC.
Children escape bus
A school bus had just crossed the midsection of the bridge before it collapsed. The bus did not go into the water, and broadcast reports indicated the children on the bus exited out the back door.
Christine Swift?s 10-year-old daughter, Kaleigh, was on the bus, returning from a field trip to Bunker Hills in Blaine. She said her daughter called her about 6:10 p.m.
?She was screaming, ?The bridge collapsed,?? Swift said. All 60 kids got off the bus safely, but about 10 of the children were injured, officials said.
Continued: 'A whole bunch of cars went down' (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20085333/page/2/)
Source: 4 dead in Minneapolis Bridge collapse (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20085333/)