FYI Only.
This thread is still being updated and is an ongoing thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874950/posts
“Breaking: Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis”
KSTP TV 5/ME | 8/1/07 | Me
Posted on 08/01/2007 4:28:27 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
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Photos included.
UPDATE:
ARTICLE SNIPPET - QUOTE:
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_213191448.html
Aug 2, 2007 1:06 am US/Central
At Least 7 Dead In I-35W Bridge Collapse
Slideshow: I-35W Bridge Collapse
(WCCO) Minneapolis New at 12:59 a.m.:
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak told WCCO radio that there is video of bridge collapse, being reviewed by emergency personnel but that he hasn’t seen the tape yet himself.
New at 12:54 a.m.:
The Minneapolis Red Cross has released a hot line number for concerned family members to call regarding the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge. The number is: 612-871-7676
New at 12:34 a.m.:
Authorities referred family members to a nearby Holiday Inn, where the Red Cross had set up operations.
Kristi Foster went to the center hours after the collapse, searching for her brother, Kirk. She said she hadn’t had contact with her brother or his girlfriend since the previous night, and his cell phone was turned off, which was unusual.
“I’ve never wanted to see my brother so much in my life,” Foster said, who went to the Holiday Inn with her mother.
“We’ve had no luck,” Foster said. “I’m overwhelmed with not knowing. I want to see my brother, and my son wants to see his uncle.”
New at 12:33 a.m.:
Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said the death toll could rise.
“We think there are several more vehicles in the river we can’t see yet,” he said, adding that the likelihood of finding survivors was slim. About 20 families had gathered at an information center, looking for information on loved ones apparently missing.
New at 12:19 a.m.:
They are closing up the victims’ family meeting area at 2 a.m. because turnout has trickled down a lot. They will reassess in the morning whether to reopen it.
New at 12:00 a.m.:
“My truck was completely faced down, pointing towards the river. The bed of my truck and the cab of my truck were completely crushed in half,” said one man who was on the bridge when it collapsed.
New at 11:57 p.m.:
Fire crews were running hose for several blocks trying to put out the fire the started in a truck on the collapsed bridge.
New at 11:51 p.m.:
“I had to carry one body,” said one man who was helping people escape from the collapse.
New at 11:49 p.m.:
Dennis Winegar of Houston, Texas, said he felt the Interstate 35W bridge start to shake. “I slammed on my brakes and saw something in front of me disappear and then my car pointed straight down and we fell.” He estimated they dropped about 50 feet.
“I just reacted, put my foot on the brakes and started praying we didn’t flip over,” he said. “When I got out ... there was a car lodged underneath me and one right next to me.”
His wife, Jamie Winegar, said everyone around them got out of their cars and tried to help each other off the bridge. “There were a bunch of people right around there helping everyone. Angels is what I call them.”
New at 11:43 p.m.:
At least 20 religious leaders say they will be at the Holiday Inn Metrodome where families of victims are meeting.
New at 11:39 p.m.:
Many people who survived the accident were more concerned about the children on the bus than their own safety.
New at 11:38 p.m.:
The school bus almost landed on it’s tires so the kids did not seem to be tossed around inside of the bus. Kids were taken to the American Red Cross, shaken up by not only what they had experienced but what they witnessed.
New at 11:31 p.m.:
The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis announced that a prayer services for victims of bridge disaster and their families will be held Thursday at noon.
One will be held at St. Olaf Catholic Church located at 215 South 8th Street, Minneapolis and another at The Cathedral of Saint Paul located at 239 Selby Avenue, Saint Paul.
New at 11:29 p.m.:
Two adult sisters at HCMC have fractures to the back, according to family members and the mother of those two woman has severe head trauma.
New at 11:27 p.m.:
Road crews had been working on the 40-year-old bridge’s deck, joints, guardrails and lights this week. “None of it would be related to the structure,” said Bob McFarlin, assistant to Minnesota Transportation Commissioner Carol Molnau.
The bridge was scheduled for inspection this fall, he said.
New at 11:25 p.m.:
Tom Sloan, head of the bridge division for Progressive Contractors Inc. said his company had 18 workers on the bridge at the time of the collapse and one was unaccounted for on Wednesday night. Three were hospitalized, while several others were treated for minor injuries, he said.
New at 11:23 p.m.
The Minnesota State Patrol believes that 20 people are still missing.
New at 11:15 p.m.:
Jacob Reynolds of Minneapolis was driving downtown and ready to get onto the freeway when he heard that the bridge had collapsed.
He said he’s certified for disaster relief by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so he ran over to see if he could help. He said he was one of the first people on the scene, but emergency crews were already fighting the fires. He also had a camera in his car because he had just returned from a family wedding out of town.
New at 11:08 p.m.:
Hennepin County Sheriff Rick Stanek said that he took a brief pass over the scene from the air and it was worse than he thought.
“Probably the most amazing piece was taking a look at the school bus. It was has been a tragic scene all around today,” said Stanek. “At this point now we are assessing where we go from here.”
Stanek said that crews will be back out at day break and will decide where to go with further recovery efforts.
He said right now it is not safe for people to be in the river at this point, so divers have been pulled out.
New at 11:05 p.m.:
State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Steve Murphy said the condition of bridges in Minnesota generally has been a topic of concern, but he couldn’t recall the Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge coming up during those discussions.
“I know the work that many of the bridge inspectors do for the state of Minnesota, and we do really good work,” said Murphy, DFL-Red Wing. “If they said that that bridge in 2006 was in good shape, I believe it was in good shape. What happened today, it’s probably going to be weeks or months before we know.”
New at 11:03 p.m.:
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver:
“The images coming across our television screens are certainly severe and sobering, and while we watch we hope and pray for the best for those involved in this tragic incident. We have offered support to our neighbors to the North; Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and rescue crews responding to this disaster.”
New at 11:01 p.m.:
Everyone at HCMC is in stable condition, according to WCCO-TV’s John Reger at the hospital.
New at 10:58 p.m.:
“It’s a 40-year-old bridge. This is a tragic occurrence and I make that observation in the midst of this consideration of the technical corrections (of SAFE-TEA-LU) as an indication of how important it is for us to continue our vigilance on the integrity and condition of the nation’s traveled roadways.” — U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, speaking on the House floor during discussion of a technical corrections bill for SAFE-TEA-LU, the major transportation bill that was passed in 2005, which authorizes the nation’s surface transportation projects through 2009.
New at 10:56 p.m.:
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minneapolis, speaking on the House floor:
“Madam Speaker: I rise tonight with a heavy heart over the news of the collapse of the 35W bridge spanning the Mississippi River in my home town of Minneapolis earlier this evening. I have spoken with Mayor Rybak regarding this tragic situation and have pledged to work with him in every way possible to recover from this disaster. ... Our delegation stands united in marshaling all the resources our Minneapolis emergency forces need in the search and rescue efforts. I want to express my profound thanks for the dedicated work of the first responders who are on the scene risking their own lives to save others.”
New at 10:54 p.m.:
Several hundred people climbed to the top of the hill in nearby Gold Medal Park, which offered a partially blocked view of the collapsed bridge. A few cried, while others stood in circles and prayed.
New at 10:52 p.m.:
Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said the death toll could rise. He said officials could see at least 50 vehicles in the water.
“We think there are several more vehicles in the river we can’t see yet,” he said, adding that the likelihood of finding survivors was slim.
New at 10:50 p.m.:
Road crews were working on the bridge’s joints, guardrails and lights this week, with lane closures overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday. The bridge was fitted in 2001 with a computerized anti-icing system that sprayed chemicals on the surface during winter weather, according to documents posted on the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Web site.
Another MnDOT plan put the timeline for replacing the bridge somewhere between 2015 and 2023, at an estimated cost of $122 million.
New at 10:49 p.m.:
From the University of Minnesota on Freshman orientation: Parents picking up students attending freshman orientation at Coffman Memorial Union should park in the Oak Street Ramp and meet students at Centennial Hall. From I-94, exit at Huron Blvd., go left on Fulton St. SE, right ok Oak St. SE. The ramp is at 401 Oak Street SE. For questions, call (612) 624-0666.
New at 10:46 p.m.:
Right now their is no video from Mn-DOT traffic cameras.
New at 10:43 p.m.:
Dr. Joseph Clinton, emergency medical chief at Hennepin County Medical Center, said the hospital treated 28 injured people — including six who were in critical condition.
New at 10:42 p.m.:
Cell phone communication was spotty around the collapse area because so many people were trying to contact loved ones at the same time.
New at 10:41 p.m.:
Statement from Sen. Amy Klobuchar:
“This tragedy hits so close to home – in fact, within a mile of my family’s home,” said Klobuchar, a former Hennepin County Attorney and long-time Minneapolis resident. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the many people affected by this evening’s shocking bridge collapse. Most importantly, we are grateful to the many first responders who have moved so quickly to help the victims of this unfortunate accident,” said Klobuchar. “On behalf of the entire Minnesota delegation, we are committed to working together to bring all available federal resources to bear in the wake of this tragedy.”
New at 10:39 p.m.:
Statement from Sen. Norm Coleman:
“In light of today’s disaster, we send our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. This is a tragic day for the state, and must first focus on rescue and recovery. The people of Minnesota should know we will devote the full resources of the government in any way possible,” said Coleman. “The Secretary of Transportation assured me that a thorough and complete forensic investigation will be conducted, which I hope will produce a definitive answer as to why this unbelievable disaster has occurred. We must ensure that a catastrophe like the one that happened today never occurs again.”
New at 10:35 p.m.:
Kids between the ages of 5 and 13 were on the school bus that was on the bridge that collapsed. A few of the kids had to be carried off the bus. All of them headed to the American Red Cross.
New at 10:34 p.m.:
One young man helped all of the children out of the back door of the bus that contained 60 children. Instead of rushing to safety many other people ran to the bus to help the children. All of those kids are safe.
New at 10:33 p.m.:
Firefighters swam car to car to look for survivors in the Mississippi River.
New at 10:31 p.m.:
According to reports, at least 60 people have been injured.
New at 10:29 p.m.:
Clack said a lot of spaces around the collapsed bridge are hard to get into. Structural engineers will tell rescuers when it is safe to go into those area.
New at 10:28 p.m.:
Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said the number of deaths from the bridge collapse has climbed to seven.
Is that what you're getting at, Cindy?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1874950/posts
QUOTE:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1874950/posts?page=1785#1785
UPDATE:
“Bridge Tragedy: Live Coverage as Recovery Resumes”
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http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1338294.html
“9 dead, 60 injured, 20 missing after dozens of vehicles plummet into river”
1,785 posted on 08/02/2007 4:43:23 AM PDT by Cindy
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/bridge080207.htm
For Immediate Release
August 2, 2007
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
FBI Explains Role in Bridge Collapse Investigation; Warns About Possible Scams
The federal investigation is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The FBI is in a support role in this incident.
The FBI responded to the collapsed bridge to offer assistance and conduct any investigation necessary. Although it is early in the investigation, we have no reason at this time to believe there is any nexus to terrorism. The Minneapolis office of the FBI has provided special agents, its Evidence Response Team, and support in the command post. Additional Evidence Response Team assistance is being sent from FBI offices in Chicago and San Antonio. “We will provide whatever resources we have available if requested by the NTSB or the State of Minnesota,” said Special Agent Richard Kolko from Washington, D.C.
We would also like to share a public service message at this time. In recent history, tragic incidents such as 9/11, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the Virginia Tech shootings have all prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit for contributions for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. Consumers should consider the following:
Do not respond to unsolicited (SPAM) e-mail.
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.
Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to recognized organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization’s website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization.
Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your identity and open you to identity theft.