Worried: I-35 Bridge Collapse
I have gotten a couple emails from friends, letting me know they are OK, but I am shocked and worried this morning as news of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse (a 4-lane highway spanning across the Mississippi in my hometown of Minneapolis, MN) streams in.
I still can't get ahold of my parents, but as long as my mom wasn't on her way back from the farm or something, they should be safe (my brother is out of town). Mike should have been on the bridge, too, but miraculously decided to stay at his parents a little longer and study today, and Joe has emailed me to let me know the cell phone lines are all tied-up with people checking to make sure everyone is safe (like NYC after 9/11), so it's nearly impossible to call right now.
For those of you in MPLS: if you read this soon, please shoot me an email lettine me know you're ok. I'm a bit shaken.
This story is on the front page of every major (online) newspaper I am pulling up. They think the bridge buckled under the weight of cars during rush hour, although an official statement with the reason has not been released. At least several cars fell into the Mississippi, but it is not certain how many people have been killed or injured (they just said "lots").
Yahoo: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070802/ap_on_re_us/minnesota_bridge_collapse
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/01/bridge.collapse/index.html
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6927113.stm
Mpls Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1338294.html
Update from my dad (the family is safe - whew!):
So far, about two-and-a-half-hours after it happened, they are still searching in the water for people. Three confirmed dead so far, a couple from drowning. There were about 50 cars onthe bridge when it went down, and about 20 construction workers. The whole bridge--4 lanes of traffic--just totally collapsed. There was work beingdone on the bridge. I heard about the bridge when I turned the Twins game on (at about 7 PM). Many on the bridge were fans coming to the Twins game. They decided to have the game tonight rather than send the crowds back out into the traffic. Butthe game for tomorrow night has been postponed. HCMC says about 22 peoplehave been admitted, 6 of them critical. Injuries north of the river arebeing sent to North Memorial in Robbinsdale.
The news reports will be going on all night. Check www.wcco.com as well as Star Tribune if you want to know more.
I still can't get ahold of my parents, but as long as my mom wasn't on her way back from the farm or something, they should be safe (my brother is out of town). Mike should have been on the bridge, too, but miraculously decided to stay at his parents a little longer and study today, and Joe has emailed me to let me know the cell phone lines are all tied-up with people checking to make sure everyone is safe (like NYC after 9/11), so it's nearly impossible to call right now.
For those of you in MPLS: if you read this soon, please shoot me an email lettine me know you're ok. I'm a bit shaken.
This story is on the front page of every major (online) newspaper I am pulling up. They think the bridge buckled under the weight of cars during rush hour, although an official statement with the reason has not been released. At least several cars fell into the Mississippi, but it is not certain how many people have been killed or injured (they just said "lots").
Yahoo: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070802/ap_on_re_us/minnesota_bridge_collapse
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/01/bridge.collapse/index.html
BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6927113.stm
Mpls Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1338294.html
Update from my dad (the family is safe - whew!):
So far, about two-and-a-half-hours after it happened, they are still searching in the water for people. Three confirmed dead so far, a couple from drowning. There were about 50 cars onthe bridge when it went down, and about 20 construction workers. The whole bridge--4 lanes of traffic--just totally collapsed. There was work beingdone on the bridge. I heard about the bridge when I turned the Twins game on (at about 7 PM). Many on the bridge were fans coming to the Twins game. They decided to have the game tonight rather than send the crowds back out into the traffic. Butthe game for tomorrow night has been postponed. HCMC says about 22 peoplehave been admitted, 6 of them critical. Injuries north of the river arebeing sent to North Memorial in Robbinsdale.
The news reports will be going on all night. Check www.wcco.com as well as Star Tribune if you want to know more.
posted by Brenda Ann Elizabeth McKinney @ 2:55 PM
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