Seven confirmed dead so far

[emilyg]

in bridge collapse. So sad.

[Skittles]

1. stuff like that makes me weary

it just should not happen

[MADem]

2. Indeed. The only bright spot is that it really could have been much, much worse. NT

[krispos42]

4. It may get much much worse

I heard on WCCO that the river's speed in that area is 12 knots, incredibly difficult for divers to operate in. I bet we won't know casualties until they can get the the cars out with a crane.

[MADem]

5. Let's hope it's not too much worse. Have there been reports of missing people at all? nt

[krispos42]

7. Strib sez 20 people missing

However, it seems to me that in order for them to be listed missing, somebody first has to miss them. I wonder how many people are trapped in the twisted wreck that have not yet had anybody call in to ask about?

9 dead, 60 injured, 20 missing after dozens of vehicles plummet into river

By Paul Levy, Star Tribune

Last update: August 02, 2007 – 3:44 AM

An ordinary evening rush hour turned horrific Wednesday when the Interstate 35W bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis suddenly collapsed. Dozens of vehicles plunged to the water and roadways below, leaving scores of dazed commuters scrambling for their lives.
Nine people were confirmed dead, 60 were taken to hospitals and 20 people were still missing late Wednesday night. Authorities said they expected the death toll to rise.

Between 50 and 60 vehicles were on the bridge when it went down shortly after 6 p.m., authorities said. Legions of rescue workers and volunteers swarmed to the scene and spent hours sifting through the wreckage in a frantic search for survivors.

<break>

By late in the evening, officials said efforts at the Mississippi had switched from rescue to recovery.

<more>

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1338294.html

Try out these name and passwords if you don't want to register. It's a great site!

http://www.bugmenot.com/view/www.startribune.com

[MADem]

9. That's unfortunate. I hope some of those twenty are just sleeping it off at a friend's house

And the number goes down,not up...

[krispos42]

10. Well, the number of dead took a dip down

down to 4 now.

For now... :-(

[myrna minx]

11. This story breaks my heart, krispos42.

http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_214123713.html

Family, Friends Search For Loved Ones
(AP) A handful of people are gathered at a Minneapolis hotel this morning as they search for missing family members after last night's bridge collapse.

Ronald Engebretsen of Shoreview was looking for his wife Sherry at the makeshift Red Cross center.

Engebretsen said his wife called their daughter Jessica at 5:39 last night and told her she was leaving her job in downtown Minneapolis. He says it would have been a five- to ten-minute drive to the I-35W bridge -- putting Sherry Engebretsen on the bridge around the time it collapsed.

more...

[Mythsaje]

3. What a horror...

I'm glad it wasn't worse.

I wish it had ended better.

[YankeeFan]

6. Bridge Inspections Were Scheduled For Later This Year

If they had been done sooner they might have closed the bridge because of unsafe conditions. Grated they were in the middle of repairing the bridge, but were they to late?

According to http://www.uselectionatlas.org the State voted for Senator Kerry in 2004. So who can we blame for it? Just bad luck or a plot of some kind?

[RC]

8. Wrong. The bridge had been inspected in 2005 & 2006

Gov. Tim Pawlenty said the bridge was inspected by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 2005 and 2006 and that no immediate structural problems were noted. “There were some minor things that needed attention,” he said.

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=173671§ion=news

Lets not be confusing the issue any more than it is at the moment. Check your facts first.
Also if they were working on the bridge, it had to have been inspected so they would know what to work on.