Breaking: Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis

KSTP TV 5/ME | 8/1/07 | Me

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Just turned on the news. 35W bridge collapsed in the Mississippi River. Cars, trucks, semis.....

Fires burning, tanker trucks, at least one school bus, more than ten cars......

Just now breaking.......

[TomGuy]

When the Homeland Security announcement was read, my husband & I looked at each other in disbelief. How does HS know it wasn't terrorism?

One of the TV stations was interviewing a bridge expert. Expert said that it was the super-structure that collapsed. The construction workers were doing resurfacing, which had nothing to do with the super-structure.

==

Around 50 vehicles fell into the water. Around 30 construction workers were on the bridge when the collapse began.

[netmilsmom]

>>It’s horrible that such a tragedy has taken place, but fitting that the show interrupted was Bill’s on the night he chose to attack FReepers.<<

That was yesterday.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

“I can’t imagine the carnage or death in the water.”

The thought of that makes me ill. Prayers up!

[Road Warrior ‘04]

I’d say MSNBC sounds the most professional at this point. $$$$$ I agree. Perhaps it was a local NBC reporter, instead of a cable guy. Shep is worse than useless.

Agree with your assessment of Shep, but can't tune in to MSNBC or CNN. Sacrilegious!

[fatima]

Thanks angcat.

[bvw]

It looks to me like the concrete pillars on the one side may have settled and twisted, and the steel footing then sheared and separated initiating the collapse sequence. Just a wild guess based on one photo. Could have been the angle.

[chesty_puller]

Adults don't write that way.

Shoo they do. I have a horrible image of you sending a text......to a midget.

[dfwgator]

If I recall correctly, that’s how they caught the ‘93 WTC bombers. Even when they were closing in, they would tell the press that they were making no progress towards catching the perps.

[MplsSteve]

Doctor at HCMC says that they have plenty of staff on hand to deal with current injuries as well as any additional ones. A local reporter said that the number of ambulances coming in and out has slowed down.

[JFC]

I see LAWYERS swarming .....

[I_like_good_things_too]

Well, they actually stated that it doesn’t appear to be terror related, but they’re going to investigate. What are they supposed to say?

[Petronski]

Large rivets blowing out under strain might well sound like a jackhammer.

Especially if they are failing sequentially, in a cascade (or "zipper") effect.

It was pointed out to me upthread.

[Abigail Adams]

It was in the 90s today.

[raygun]

All I know is that up until I found that report, each and every single video feed would crash on my brand new installed WinXP (SP2) patched to the gills system.

Since I posted that, not a single video feed can be found.

All I know is that everything must be cool and all the hysteria about code red and condition orange and whatnot must be a bunch of hype.

[Palladin]

Don’t forget that the Six Imams were kicked off a plane at the Minneapolis-St.Paul airport, and that their remarks reeked of retribution.

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/826056.html

[RDTF]

Fox reporting one death due to drowning

[SergeiRachmaninov]

I heard that John Edwards is on the way. Said he didn’t want to cause any distraction by campaigning, but he would like to pass out a few business cards just in case this White House gig doesn’t pan out.

[Spktyr]

As would the, um, jackhammer that at least one witness saw the repair crews using on the bridge immediately prior to the collapse.

Fox: 1 fatality, 6 critical, 22 non-threatening casualties. Most damage appears to be BFT. Fatality was a drowning.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

“Shemp the Drama Queen” was in full panic mode tonight. If the news wan’t so awful, I would have laughed. Instead I just shook my head.

[eyespysomething]

What is BFT?