OT: Bridge collapses over Mississippi River in Minneapolis!

[Playitloudforme]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079534/

Cars in the water. Keep them in your prayers if you pray.

[Playitloudforme]

Just saw video...that sucker is GONE.

[Clasicrockldy]

Damn, it is a miracle that no one has died. Yesterday, part of a overpass and the scaffolding holding it collapsed in Oroville. One construction worker was on top when it collapsed. He rode it down. A Fed Ex truck got hit with the steel. The driver is ok.

I just watched the video. Kind of reminds me of the Cypress structure collapse after the 89 earthquake. Prayers being said for all involved.

[Behshad]

Damn, it is a miracle that no one has died. Yesterday, part of a overpass and the scaffolding holding it collapsed in Oroville. One construction worker was on top when it collapsed. He rode it down. A Fed Ex truck got hit with the steel. The driver is ok.

I just watched the video. Kind of reminds me of the Cypress structure collapse after the 89 earthquake. Prayers being said for all involved.

at least one fatality confirrmed,
it is sad 2 see tragedies like this
my prayers to all those involved

[piecesofeight]

I believe I just heard now that three have passed and like at least 50 vehicles in the water still...
So right to just let the Twins game continue, they don't need the hassle of people getting out of the game. I have a feeling they won't even let them out for awhile after the game.
You just never know what you are going to come across when you check the news. I usually do a quick tv check, so I see/hear about it first visually.

[tj]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079534/

Cars in the water. Keep them in your prayers if you pray.

Similar thing happened about 5 years ago near me in Oklahoma. Barge hit the bridge on I-40 and caused it to collapse. Several people killed. Amazing how these things happen.

[T-Bone]

Actually I just heard 7 fatalities. That bridge is less than 50 miles from me

[piecesofeight]

Actually I just heard 7 fatalities. That bridge is less than 50 miles from me

Damn, four more in about an hour....

[jrney61]

Our son lives 2 blocks away from this in a fraternity house. He currently is in New Orleans, but he has heard all his fraternity brothers are alright. His roommate from his freshman year crossed the bridge shortly before it collapsed. To whoever posted about it reminding them of the bridge collapse in '89 in California, I felt the same thing. Please do pray.

[Angiekay]

Just crazy...the hundreds of thousands of times I've driven over that damn thing, the last time less then a month ago. Been in touch with most of my friends family including my sister who lives up there.

Just....freaky.

[larryfromnextdoor]

ive been out .. oh my this is terrible.. unbelievable....

[Perry86fan]

I saw this on CNN last nite after i got home from work.Keeping all in my thoughts and prayers. Please do the same!

[piecesofeight]

Death toll lowered to 4 for now, but 20 are missing....
There are at least 79 injuries right now, at least 50 cars remain in the water, and there were like 60 cars on the bridge at the time of the callapse from what they can figure right now. Damn, if these figures are right, only a few cars didn't end up in the water.
Just saw video footage of the bridge collapsing and listening to a couple people who were on the bridge during the collapse who survived..CHILLING. The story about the kids on the school bus is...can only imagine what those poor children were going through. Some were as young as 5 years old.
If you are one who prays, pray....

[Jenna]

I saw this on CNN last nite after i got home from work.Keeping all in my thoughts and prayers. Please do the same!

Will keep these poor victims in my Prayers-

[SusieP]

So what happened - did something hit it or explode somewhere or did it just go down?
Is it an old bridge, what the hell caused it?
Do any of our MR folks live there?

[piecesofeight]

So what happened - did something hit it or explode somewhere or did it just go down?
Is it an old bridge, what the hell caused it?
Do any of our MR folks live there?

No answers to this sort of thing yet, but from I am hearing about the construction that was going on at the time, and what survivors who were on the bridge are saying they felt/saw..I believe, just my opinion, that this is going to be something to do with the construction that was going on.
80,000 bridges in the US have the same defficient rating that this bridge had!
It's now a recovery mission and there may be up to 30 reported missing now.
I have seen numerous shows trying to teach people what to do if you are in a car that is in water. You can sit there and watch and think you get it, but to actually be in a situation requiring you to do these things, such as let the car fill up first before breaking a window, it obviously is so scary that how many really could remain calm and then go through the proper steps.
First you are freaked out that you even ended up being in that situation and who even carries the proper tools required to break one of the side windows, AFTER letting the car fill up first!
Most people trying and kick out the front or back window first and this is where you can get into trouble if the car is already filled up with water. You are suppose to let the car fill up first, allowing even strength on each side, then tap the middle of a side window to break it.

[SusieP]

So what happened - did something hit it or explode somewhere or did it just go down?
Is it an old bridge, what the hell caused it?
Do any of our MR folks live there?

No answers to this sort of thing yet, but from I am hearing about the construction that was going on at the time, and what survivors who were on the bridge are saying they felt/saw..I believe, just my opinion, that this is going to be something to do with the construction that was going on.
80,000 bridges in the US have the same defficient rating that this bridge had!
It's now a recovery mission and there may be up to 30 reported missing now.

OK thanks - I was just wondering if there had been some dreaded incendiary device planted by some terrorist faction, or something.
It's a terrible tragedy either way.

[Red13JoePa]

Some Islamic murderer group will leap up and try to take credit.

[Angiekay]

Here is a link to KQRS, the classic rock station in Minneapolis. They have a CNN footage link of video of the bridge actually collapsing that is from some survellience camera on the north end of the bridge. From the video, it really doesn't look like there are that many cars on the bridge.


http://www.kqrs.com/

[*Laura]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20079534/

Cars in the water. Keep them in your prayers if you pray.

Saw the video report this morning on CNN...Just terrible.


Prayers for all involved.

[MartyMoffatt]

No answers to this sort of thing yet, but from I am hearing about the construction that was going on at the time, and what survivors who were on the bridge are saying they felt/saw..I believe, just my opinion, that this is going to be something to do with the construction that was going on.

I heard some guy (sounded like some kind of guy in authority) being interviewed about it on a UK radio station this morning. He said that although there was construction going on it was very routine and superficial resurfacing, not anything likely to cause structural damage, so he didn't think it was a factor.

Marty

[Rockindeano]

I just love Fox News. I can't turn it off, they are so fuckin funny. Good ol Sean Hannity was raising the question about it may be of Terrorism action. What? Yeah dude, a bridge in Minneapolis of all places, not Yankee Stadium or Carnegie Hall, is the target of Muhamad's playtime. Then that Jellyfish of a human Colonel Oliver I took it up the ass in prison North was hyping up more defense systems for bridge terrorism. You have got to be kidding me?

However, Faux News does have the hottest legs on the hottest girls so there I am watching it again this morning, and some bimbo blonde asks this qustion, and no, I am not making this up. "There were reports of construction going on with the bridge. Perhaps a jackhammer caused a vibration, thus creating the stress cracks in the metal?" What? A jackhammer?

Shit like this happens. Man made stuff breaks. When it's your time to go, you go.

[Angiekay]

I just love Fox News. I can't turn it off, they are so fuckin funny. Good ol Sean Hannity was raising the question about it may be of Terrorism action. What? Yeah dude, a bridge in Minneapolis of all places, not Yankee Stadium or Carnegie Hall, is the target of Muhamad's playtime.

Hey, not that this is anything to actually be PROUD of, but after 9-11, they discovered the Mall of America had been a target being looked at to fly a plane into, since it is actually right ACROSS THE STREET from the Mpls International Airport!

[piecesofeight]

[quote="RockinDeano"] "There were reports of construction going on with the bridge. Perhaps a jackhammer caused a vibration, thus creating the stress cracks in the metal?" [/b] What? A jackhammer?[Quote]


This all came about because a couple of people who were on the bridge at the time of the collapse said it felt like a 'jackhammer' before the bridge collapsed. I'm sure there was a huge rumble, but a jackhammer?

[piecesofeight]

No answers to this sort of thing yet, but from I am hearing about the construction that was going on at the time, and what survivors who were on the bridge are saying they felt/saw..I believe, just my opinion, that this is going to be something to do with the construction that was going on.

I heard some guy (sounded like some kind of guy in authority) being interviewed about it on a UK radio station this morning. He said that although there was construction going on it was very routine and superficial resurfacing, not anything likely to cause structural damage, so he didn't think it was a factor.

Marty

Yeah, everyone is coming out of the woodwork, as par for this sort of thing, and being interviewed on their 'expert' opinion.
I should have worded my above phrase better. Not so much the actual 'construction', buth the reasons the construction was going on.
If this isn't terroism, which it doesn't appear, it's absurd to not say it wasn't something structural, what else could it be. Granted, as you are saying, maybe it wasn't the construction that caused the structural damage, but with damage already being their, you never know...
It's just all about opinions right now. That's it.

[piecesofeight]

Here is a link to KQRS, the classic rock station in Minneapolis. They have a CNN footage link of video of the bridge actually collapsing that is from some survellience camera on the north end of the bridge. From the video, it really doesn't look like there are that many cars on the bridge.


http://www.kqrs.com/

Yeah, maybe only about 60 cars. It's ironic, that because of the construction, two of the four lanes were closed, so that was why there wasn't that many cars crossing at the same time. something like 140,000 cars cross this bridge daily.

[Angiekay]

Here is a link to KQRS, the classic rock station in Minneapolis. They have a CNN footage link of video of the bridge actually collapsing that is from some survellience camera on the north end of the bridge. From the video, it really doesn't look like there are that many cars on the bridge.


http://www.kqrs.com/

Yeah, maybe only about 60 cars. It's ironic, that because of the construction, two of the four lanes were closed, so that was why there wasn't that many cars crossing at the same time. something like 140,000 cars cross this bridge daily.

The other thing I found interesting was some people last night commenting that maybe it was a GOOD thing that it was bumper to bumper traffic. The fact that they were sitting still when it fell instead of flying down the freeway at 50-60mph and becoming flying projectiles might have actually saved some lives.

[lights1961]

Here is a link to KQRS, the classic rock station in Minneapolis. They have a CNN footage link of video of the bridge actually collapsing that is from some survellience camera on the north end of the bridge. From the video, it really doesn't look like there are that many cars on the bridge.


http://www.kqrs.com/

Yeah, maybe only about 60 cars. It's ironic, that because of the construction, two of the four lanes were closed, so that was why there wasn't that many cars crossing at the same time. something like 140,000 cars cross this bridge daily.

The other thing I found interesting was some people last night commenting that maybe it was a GOOD thing that it was bumper to bumper traffic. The fact that they were sitting still when it fell instead of flying down the freeway at 50-60mph and becoming flying projectiles might have actually saved some lives.

have a sister there too. she was downtown in the afternoon, but was home already in Savage... all her kids are safe too, they all live through out the city. Oldest was on his way to the game, but not on the bridge.

Rick

[larryfromnextdoor]

there are so many ways to die that you never think about... folks think about their health alot,, but plane
or bus crashes, knifed in a walmart parking lot, bridge collaspe, drunk drivers, botchalism in a can of chili,
cleaning out drains on a pig farm, chinese toys, ect ect.. gotta be ready .. horrible..

[larryfromnextdoor]

the worst is yet to come,, this is beyond horrible...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/s ... 95,00.html


Police: More Victims in Submerged Cars

Thursday August 2, 2007 9:16 PM


By JON KRAWCZYNSKI

Associated Press Writers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Divers searched the Mississippi River for bodies still trapped beneath the twisted debris of a collapsed bridge Thursday, as finger-pointing began over a report two years ago that found the bridge was ``structurally deficient.''

The official death count from Wednesday evening's collapse stood at four, but Police Chief Tim Dolan said more bodies were in the water. Hospitals officials said 79 others were injured.

A strong current and low visibility hampered the search, but at least four submerged vehicles had been located with sonar, officials said.

``We have a number of vehicles that are underneath big pieces of concrete, and we do know we have some people in those vehicles,'' Dolan said. ``We know we do have more casualties at the scene.''

The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, was in the midst of repairs when it buckled during the evening rush hour. Dozens of cars plummeted more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River, some falling on top one of another. A school bus sat on the angled concrete.

The White House said an inspection of the 40-year-old bridge in 2005 found problems. The Interstate 35W span rated 50 on a scale of 100 for structural stability and was classified as ``structurally deficient,'' transportation officials said.

The designation means some portions of the bridge needed to be scheduled for repair or replacement, and it was on a schedule for inspection every two years. ``It didn't mean that the bridge is unsafe,'' Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said.

Earlier, at the White House, press secretary Tony Snow said while the inspection didn't indicate the bridge was at risk of failing, ``If an inspection report identifies deficiencies, the state is responsible for taking corrective actions.''

Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday ordered an immediate inspection of all bridges in the state with similar designs, but said the state was never warned that the bridge needed to be closed or immediately repaired.

``There was no call by anyone that we're aware of that said it should be immediately closed or immediately replaced,'' Pawlenty said. ``It was more of a monitor, inspect, maintain, and potentially replace it in the future.

Around the country, a handful of states, including Arizona, Michigan, New Jersey and New Mexico, ordered inspections of their own bridges.

In the river, divers took down license plate numbers for authorities to track down the vehicles' owners. Getting the vehicles out was expected to take several days and involve moving around very large, heavy pieces of bridge.

As many as 30 people were reported missing, and the rescue effort had shifted to recovery.

Relatives who couldn't find their loved ones at hospitals gathered in a hotel ballroom Thursday for any news, hoping for the best.

Ronald Engebretsen, 57, was searching for his wife, Sherry. His daughter last heard from her when she left work in downtown Minneapolis Wednesday. Her cell phone has picked up with voice mail ever since.

``We are left with the hope that there is a Jane Doe in a hospital somewhere that's her,'' Engebretsen said.

As many as 50 vehicles tumbled into the river when the bridge collapsed, leaving those who could escape to scramble to shore. Some survivors carried the injured 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.

``People who were pinned or partly crushed told emergency workers to say 'hello' or say 'goodbye' to their loved ones,'' Dolan said.

Jay Reeves, 39, was one of the first people on the scene after the collapse. He tried calling 911, but all the lines were jammed. Then, he heard the sounds of children's screams from the school bus.

``I opened my car door and was greeted by the screams of lots of kids. Screaming kids are good. That means they're alive and full of a lot energy,'' said Reeves, a trained paramedic and the public safety coordinator for the Minnesota American Red Cross.

The children were sent back to his office, where he spoke to them and tried to calm them down while their parents were located. One frantic boy told him that his shoulder hurt, he said.

``I took his head in my hands and said 'you need to calm down. Take a deep breath and hold it,''' Reeves said.

The Homeland Security Department said the collapse did not appear to be terrorism-related, but the cause was still unknown. Federal officials announced Thursday that $5 million would be rapidly released to help with efforts such as re-routing traffic around the disaster site.

The first step of the federal investigation will be to recover pieces of the bridge and reassemble them, kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, to try and determine what happened, NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said.

Investigators also want to review video of the collapse, and were setting up a phone number for witnesses to call with information.

``It is clearly much too early in the initial stages of this investigation to have any idea what happened,'' Rosenker said.

This week, road crews had been working on the bridge's joints, guardrails and lights, with lane closures overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday. In 2001, the bridge had been fitted 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.

The bridge is blocks from the heart of Minneapolis, near tourist attractions such as the new Guthrie Theater and the Stone Arch Bridge. As the steamy night progressed massive crowds of onlookers circulated in the area on foot or bicycle, some of them wearing Twins T-shirts and caps after departing Wednesday night's game at the nearby Metrodome early.

The steel-arched bridge, built in 1967, rose 64 feet above the river and stretched 1,900 feet across the water. It was built with a single 458-foot-long steel arch to avoid the need for piers that might interfere with river navigation. The depth of the water underneath the bridge is between 4 to 14 feet, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

The collapse was not expected to have a sizable impact on barge shipments of grain and freight. The stretch of the river is largely used by recreational boaters and seldom by shippers, who rely more on bigger locks south on the river, said Bill Gretten with the Army Corps of Engineers.