Minneapolis Bridge Collapse - Seven Dead

 While traffic sat bumper-to-bumper during the evening rush hour, the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River outside Minneapolis collapsed with a roar today.  At least 7 people are dead and another 58 injured, including 10 children.  NBC News reported that every ambulance in the city was called out to respond.  A freight train passing under the bridge at the time of the collapse was cut in two.  Floodlights have been set up to assist in search and rescue operations at this time.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation estimates that aproximately 200,000 vehicles per day travel on the bridge, which is a major link beteween Minneapolis and St. Paul.  It was under repair at the time of the collapse.

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

Ritha Boyle, 22, who said she lives about 200 yards from the bridge, witnessed the collapse.

"At first I just heard a big bang and I thought it was thunderstorms," Boyle told MSNBC.com. "Then I looked outside I noticed there was dust coming up from the bridge, and then I saw it go down and hit a train. I saw some cars trying to hit their brakes and stuff like that, and a whole bunch of cars went down."

 

MSNBC Graphics courtesy of MSNBC

Although Wednesday's Minnesota Twins baseball game went on as scheduled, Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals has been postponed, as has a groundbreaking ceremony for the new stadium.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said there is no reason to think that terrorism was involved in the collapse, NBC News' Pete Williams reported.

"We continue to monitor the situation. At this time, there's no indication of a nexus to terrorism," department spokesman Russ Knocke said in Washington.