USA: Seven dead in Minneapolis road bridge collapse

A highway bridge has collapsed in the United States, hurling vehicles into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour. At least seven people have been killed, and dozens injured. Cars were crushed under huge slabs of concrete, flipped onto their roofs or thrown in the river in Minneapolis as the 40-year-old bridge, packed with vehicles in nose-to-tail commuter traffic, buckled on Wednesday (August 1) with a thunderous roar. Some vehicles were left hanging over the bridge. A school bus was stranded and the pupils it was carrying had to be rescued. Ted Canova of the Red Cross said about ten of the sixty children on board were taken to hospital, and two may have serious injuries. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington said there was no indication of terrorism being involved. Minneapolis fire chief, Jim Clack , said at least seven people have been confirmed dead but that toll is expected to rise as recovery operations continue. At least 60 people have been taken to hospitals in the area. The 500-foot (150-metre) span of the steel and concrete bridge, which carried an eight-lane highway and was under repair, collapsed into the river and onto concrete embankments at about 6:05 p.m. CDT (2305 GMT). The span had stood about 65 feet (20 metres) above the water. The cause of the disaster was not yet known, state police said. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington said there was no indication of terrorism being involved.

ITN Source | August 2, 2007

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