Emergency.Blog

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Interstate Collapse Reported

Wed 8/1/2007 21:21 PM CDT

Minneapolis Mayor Says Six Dead In Collapse

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has confirmed that six people have died in the collapse of a bridge over the Mississippi River.

Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis said that they had received 22 "non-critical" patients and six critical patients. Other patients were taken to additional nearby hospitals, EMS sources told EmergencyNet News via e-mail.

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20:00CDT - 01 Aug 2007

Minneapolis Bridge Collapses, Sending Cars Into Water Below

By The Associated Press/WCCO/WFTC/KSTP-TV

MINNEAPOLIS -- The entire span of an interstate bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed during evening rush hour Wednesday, sending vehicles, tons of concrete and twisted metal crashing into the water. All four lanes of the Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge near University Avenue has collapsed into the river and onto businesses underneath the highway at 18:05 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

The bridge (at University), was under construction/repair when it broke into several huge sections.

It was not clear how many people were injured. More than two dozen people were reported injured and there is one or more fatalities reported at the scene.

A burning truck and a school bus clung to one slanted slab, while at least eight cars and a truck were submerged in the river. The vehicles dropped around 60 feet during the collapse.

Local television stations captured video of injured people being carried up the riverbank. There was no official word on injuries, but dozens of rescue vehicles and personnel were there. Rescue divers and boats have also been dispatched to the scene.

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Homeland Security Implications

"There were two lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, at the point of the collapse. Those cars did go into the river," Minneapolis Police Lt. Amelia Huffman. "At this point there is nothing to suggest that this was anything other than a structural collapse."

The Homeland Security Department had received no indications Wednesday night that the collapse was related to an act of terrorism, department spokesman Russ Knocke said in Washington.

"At this time, there's no indication of a nexus to terrorism," Knocke said.

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MN Press Conference

Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Campion and Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak will speak to the press at 20:45 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center located at Minneapolis City Hall.

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Live Coverage

Live coverage of the bridge collapse from WCCO...

Watch Live Coverage of the Bridge Collapse from KARE 11-TV..Click here

myFOX9.com LIVE STREAMING CHANNELS...Click here