August 03, 2007
The Minneapolis Bridge, Wow!
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) --
Five people are confirmed to have died in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, bridge collapse. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office said Friday that four bodies were recovered Wednesday and one was recovered Thursday.Authorities have said the toll is expected to climb as they piece through wreckage.
The search for bodies in the Mississippi River was painstakingly slow as divers navigated debris and murky water after Wednesday's collapse, officials said.About 15 divers from local counties did a bank-to-bank search Thursday afternoon and found 11 vehicles, including an 18-wheeler, said Lynn Schwartz, Communication Specialist for the Bridge Collapse Command Center.
Vehicles with bodies inside are being taken out of the river, while empty ones are being marked and left in the water, she said. Officials said at least 79 people were injured.
Dozens of cars are trapped in the rubble or in the river after the eight-lane interstate bridge collapsed during Minneapolis' evening rush hour. Eight people are still missing, said Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek.
I can't imagine what that would have been like to be on that bridge.
Posted by anthony at August 3, 2007 08:31 AM | TrackBackAnd now, the extremely difficult task of finding victims underwater. The recovery teams, I feel for them...the scene underwater, if they can see through the Mississippi River water, must be unbelievable. My long-deceased brother-in-law used to help dive for drowning victims. If they've been underwater for awhile, their bodies literally fall apart when they're moved. I hope the recovery teams have people to depressurize with, talk to.
Posted by: t.smith at August 3, 2007 09:45 AMWhew.
Posted by: Anthony at August 3, 2007 10:05 AMI just posted an absolutely amazing article from John Piper (who's Desiring God Ministry offices are just a mile from the bridge), on my blog. It was an incredible read that I cannot recommend more highly. It truly helps make sense of suffering and tragedy in the light of the gospel. It was very comforting, yet also difficult to read at times.
http://bradedwards.wordpress.com/2007/08/03/john-piper-on-the-minneapolis-bridge-collapse/
Posted by: Brad at August 3, 2007 12:23 PMUnless you've seen that bridge, it's hard to imagine the impact of losing that one bridge. That's the road that I would drive every day to get from my apartment in south Minneapolis to work, or to church, or to my parent's house.
My coworker was on that bridge in her black car right behind the school bus. And the bridge collapsed two days after her mom suddenly died.
I won't name her, but I know that she needs prayer.
Posted by: Colleen at August 3, 2007 01:24 PM