Seven dead as US bridge collapses

Well that certainly sucks...:(
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Seven dead as US bridge collapses

Seven people have died after a freeway bridge over the Mississippi river collapsed in the evening rush hour.

At least 60 were injured when part of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis fell down at 1805 (2305GMT) on Wednesday.

Fire Chief Jim Clack told reporters seven died as the structure buckled, hurling up to 50 vehicles in the water.

The US Department of Homeland Security said there was no reason to suspect the fall of the bridge, which had been undergoing repairs, was terror-related.

Minneapolis mayor RT Rybak told a news conference: "It will be a very tragic night when it is over."

'Catastrophe'

Traffic had been moving slowly at the time of the incident as only one lane was open in either direction because of the construction work on the arched bridge.

Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minneapolis, told a press conference: "Obviously this is a catastrophe of historic proportions."

Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan said they had accounted for all but one of the construction workers who had been on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

Tons of concrete crashed 64 feet (20 metres) into the water after the interstate bridge crumbled.

A freight train passing underneath was crushed as a 500ft (150m) span of steel and concrete collapsed.

Some 30 children were led to safety with only minor injuries from a school bus that clung to the edge of a collapsed section of the structure over the river.

Eyewitnesses said they heard a rumbling sound as the 40-year-old structure fell into the river.

'Very chaotic'

Leone Carstens, a local resident, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper: "First I heard this huge roar.

"I was at my computer. Initially I thought: 'Wow was that an airplane?'"

Eyewitnesses said they saw people in the water and rescuers carrying survivors up the riverbank.

Chris O'Connell, a Minneapolis reporter, told the BBC: "It is a very chaotic scene here. To call this a catastrophe would be an understatement.

Russ Knocke, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, told the AFP news agency: "There are no indications of a nexus to terrorism at this time."

click

my bad. perhaps I should have watched 'Posting and You'.

well, should be placed here and I didn't see it in the lounge.

I've been on that bridge...:jawdropper:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ahighlander

BRRRRRRAAAPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!

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Did somebody fart in here?

like the 4th thread of this in 2 days