Zathras 234 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 (edited) This is less than 500 yards from where I live. even dead as US bridge collapsesCollapsed I-35W bridge in Minneapolis The 40-year old bridge dropped into the Mississippi 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. Vehicles on section of collapsed I-35W bridge in Minneapolis First I heard this huge roar. I thought: 'Wow was that an airplane?' Local resident, Leone Carstens Shock as bridge falls 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." From the BBC Edited August 2, 2007 by Zathras Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catmag 336 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Just seen this on the news. Awful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy 9 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 shit! just seen it on news very very sad r.i.p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toonraider 0 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I've been watching sky news coverage during the night at work, I can't believe a bridge can just suddenly collapse like that Surely there would have been signs like movement? cracks? etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo 133 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Just watching this on CNN and SKY News, RIP to those who lost their lives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Terrible like. I have to say, after seeing it, I think it's lucky that so few were killed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathras 234 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 I've been watching sky news coverage during the night at work, I can't believe a bridge can just suddenly collapse like that Surely there would have been signs like movement? cracks? etc Apparently not; it had been inspected in 2005 and 2006 and showed only "preliminary signs of fatigue" i.e. it was expected to need structural repair in 2020. They had been working on resurfacing it, redoing the de-icing mechanisms and replacing guardrails, but that's hardly going to cause the structural integrity to collapse. I don't think one thing could cause it to collapse, it's going to have to have been several things all going wrong at the same time, like an air liner crash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathras 234 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 Terrible like. I have to say, after seeing it, I think it's lucky that so few were killed. Yeah, we'll see how many more bodies they pull out of the river today, but if it's under 20-25 it would be a miracle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Terrible like. I have to say, after seeing it, I think it's lucky that so few were killed. Yeah, we'll see how many more bodies they pull out of the river today, but if it's under 20-25 it would be a miracle. Aye, it's a recovery operation now Just re-read the first post (as I'd already seen it on the news when I opened this). 500 yards from where you live? Fucking hell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathras 234 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 Terrible like. I have to say, after seeing it, I think it's lucky that so few were killed. Yeah, we'll see how many more bodies they pull out of the river today, but if it's under 20-25 it would be a miracle. Aye, it's a recovery operation now Just re-read the first post (as I'd already seen it on the news when I opened this). 500 yards from where you live? Fucking hell! Aye, just a rumble a shake and a boom, and then I looked out the window and it was just surreal. Huge plumes of black smoke... It's a bizarre sight this morning. The eight-lane freeway is deserted, and the bridge next door is closed for the recovery operation. Traffic is a mess as that bridge carried a TON of traffic. Probably around 1/3 of the traffic that crosses the river each rush hour... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 13804 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 16454 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 RIP This will be in the latest IStructE magazine no doubt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathras 234 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Share Posted August 2, 2007 Death count lowered to four confirmed currently. 20~25 still missing though, presumed dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wykikitoon 16454 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 According to the news its been structurally unsound since 2001. How the hell, if this is the case has it been allowed to stay open? Looking at the way it collapsed it looks like the rebar has just dramatically failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathras 234 Posted August 3, 2007 Author Share Posted August 3, 2007 According to the news its been structurally unsound since 2001. How the hell, if this is the case has it been allowed to stay open? Looking at the way it collapsed it looks like the rebar has just dramatically failed. The bridge had known deficiencies since 1990, not 2001. The report from 2001 cited some stress and "danger of fatigue cracking due to corrosion" but still concluded that it wouldn't need to be replaced until about 2020, although they recommended yearly detailed inspections (these began in May this year.) About 8% of bridges in this state are rated the same as that bridge was (compared to 13% nationally) and it doesn't necessarily mean that it's unsafe, just that it will need repair or replacement in the not too distant future. There was actually a proposal to reinforce the structure of the bridge earlier this year by bolting metal plates to it, but it was dismissed as too expensive. In a state where the governor has campaigned on a platform of "no new taxes" for seven years, the department of transportation has lacked any kind of a repair budget for about a decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathras 234 Posted August 3, 2007 Author Share Posted August 3, 2007 Now reporting 5 confirmed dead and only 8 missing. It's a miracle if only 13 people died in that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatful Of Hollow 0 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 Death count lowered to four confirmed currently. 20~25 still missing though, presumed dead. Christ, imagine being on the other bridge when it happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pooptash 0 Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 R.I.P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zathras 234 Posted August 3, 2007 Author Share Posted August 3, 2007 Death count lowered to four confirmed currently. 20~25 still missing though, presumed dead. Christ, imagine being on the other bridge when it happened. The gray building on the upper left corner of the picture right next to the left side bridge is where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags 1 Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 Surveillance video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nerQhIyOwxM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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