Minneapolis Bridge Collapses - 7 people confirmed dead
An interstate bridge jammed with rush-hour traffic suddenly broke into huge sections and collapsed into the Mississippi River Wednesday, pitching dozens of cars 60 feet into the water and killing at least seven people in Minneapolis.
The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, was in the midst of being repaired and had several lanes closed when it crumbled.
At least seven people were killed and 60 were taken to area hospitals, authorities said. Dr. Joseph Clinton, emergency medical chief at Hennepin County Medical Center, said his hospital treated 28 injured people — including six who were in critical condition.
The bridge was built with a single 458-foot-long steel arch to avoid putting any piers in the water that might interfere with river navigation.
Workers have been repairing the 40-year-old bridge's surface as part of improvements along that stretch of the interstate, According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune..
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of this tragedy. I have driven across this bridge many times and I feel the pain of the residents in Minneapolis. Having traveled this highway on many occasions, I can only imagine the devastation and pain this is causing for commuters. It is something that my friends have told me that could never happen. I have a fear of bridges and typically would get nervous when I crossed bridges like this one and higher ones in the midwest. It may have something to do with my fear of heights and lack of ability to swim. This tragedy has reinforced my desire to learn how to swim. It is sad that it took something like this to make me realize the importance of swimming. I hope that this encourages other readers to learn how to swim. Something like this could happen anywhere, and knowing how to swim would help save a life, not a guarantee, but it would be a good start.
Click here to read more from the Associated Press on the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse.
