This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/6927725.stm
The article has changed 19 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 7 | Version 8 |
|---|---|
| Bid to recover Mississippi bodies | Bid to recover Mississippi bodies |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| US emergency teams are searching for bodies a day after a bridge over the Mississippi river collapsed, killing a number of people. | US emergency teams are searching for bodies a day after a bridge over the Mississippi river collapsed, killing a number of people. |
| At least four people are confirmed dead with up to 30 missing. US officials are not linking the collapse to terrorism. | At least four people are confirmed dead with up to 30 missing. US officials are not linking the collapse to terrorism. |
| Some 50 vehicles were hurled into the water when part of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, gave way during the rush hour on Wednesday evening. | Some 50 vehicles were hurled into the water when part of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, gave way during the rush hour on Wednesday evening. |
| Rescue officials said they expected the death toll to rise. | Rescue officials said they expected the death toll to rise. |
| Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan said people were still trapped inside vehicles and the recovery effort would take at least three days. | Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan said people were still trapped inside vehicles and the recovery effort would take at least three days. |
| "We're dealing with the Mississippi river, we're dealing with currents and we're going to have to do it slowly and safely," Mr Dolan said. | "We're dealing with the Mississippi river, we're dealing with currents and we're going to have to do it slowly and safely," Mr Dolan said. |
| Investigators are treating the area as a crime scene until they determine a cause for the collapse. | Investigators are treating the area as a crime scene until they determine a cause for the collapse. |
| See graphic of the bridge collapse | See graphic of the bridge collapse |
| US President George W Bush said the federal government must "respond robustly" to help the people of Minnesota recover and rebuild the bridge as quickly as possible. | US President George W Bush said the federal government must "respond robustly" to help the people of Minnesota recover and rebuild the bridge as quickly as possible. |
| The bridge started falling, cars were flying everywhere and I saw the water coming up Catherine YankelevichLocal driver What caused collapse? It was like a movie - witness In pictures: Bridge collapse | |
| The federal Department of Transportation has offered an initial $5m (£2.5m) to help with clean-up efforts and transport issues. | The federal Department of Transportation has offered an initial $5m (£2.5m) to help with clean-up efforts and transport issues. |
| Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said the collapse was a "catastrophe of historic proportions". | Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said the collapse was a "catastrophe of historic proportions". |
| The 40-year-old I-35W highway bridge was being repaired at the time of the collapse. | |
| Mr Pawlenty ordered an immediate inspection of all bridges in the state with similar designs. He said the bridge was last inspected in 2006 and no significant structural problems were found. | |
| But in 2005, the bridge was one of thousands across the US rated as "structurally deficient" on the federal National Bridge Inventory database. | |
| href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1186047655/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1186047655/html/1.stm', '1186047696', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=600,height=458,left=312,top=100'); return false;"> href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1186047655/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/07/americas_enl_1186047655/html/1.stm', '1186047696', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=600,height=458,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Image | |
| The bridge rated 50 on a scale of 120 for structural stability in that study, White House press secretary Tony Snow said. | |
| Traffic had been "bumper to bumper" at the time of the incident as only one lane was open in either direction on the eight-lane road because of construction work on the arched bridge. | Traffic had been "bumper to bumper" at the time of the incident as only one lane was open in either direction on the eight-lane road because of construction work on the arched bridge. |
| Tons of concrete crashed 64 feet (20m) into the water as the structure crumbled. | Tons of concrete crashed 64 feet (20m) into the water as the structure crumbled. |
| Injured people waited for rescue as vehicles dangled off the crumpled concrete and smoke billowed into the sky from the fiery wreckage of a lorry. | Injured people waited for rescue as vehicles dangled off the crumpled concrete and smoke billowed into the sky from the fiery wreckage of a lorry. |
| Some people managed to swim to safety. | Some people managed to swim to safety. |
| "The bridge started falling, cars were flying everywhere and I saw the water coming up," Catherine Yankelevich, whose car ended up in the water, told AFP news agency. | "The bridge started falling, cars were flying everywhere and I saw the water coming up," Catherine Yankelevich, whose car ended up in the water, told AFP news agency. |
| MINNEAPOLIS Largest city in Minnesota stateIt and adjoining state capital St Paul form part of the Twin Cities area Twin Cities area population about 3.5m | |
| "The water was coming up pretty fast, so I rolled the window down... It seemed like a movie, and it was pretty scary." | "The water was coming up pretty fast, so I rolled the window down... It seemed like a movie, and it was pretty scary." |
| At least 50 children were led to safety with only minor injuries from a school bus that clung to the side of a collapsed section over the river. | |
| Huge roar | Huge roar |
| Police said officials had accounted for all but one of the construction workers who had been on the bridge at the time of the collapse. | Police said officials had accounted for all but one of the construction workers who had been on the bridge at the time of the collapse. |
| Eyewitnesses said they heard a huge roar as the structure fell into the river. | Eyewitnesses said they heard a huge roar as the structure fell into the river. |
| I-35W BRIDGE 9340 Eight-lane, steel-arch bridgeBuilt in 1967Used by 140,000 cars a day | |
| "What I first heard was a giant rumbling sound from my apartment," Mark Lacroix told the BBC. | "What I first heard was a giant rumbling sound from my apartment," Mark Lacroix told the BBC. |
| "I'm 20 storeys up, just a stone's throw from the bridge itself, and I thought, maybe my own building was coming down, it was an amazing noise. And I look out of the window and I see just the final moments of it collapsing into the river. | "I'm 20 storeys up, just a stone's throw from the bridge itself, and I thought, maybe my own building was coming down, it was an amazing noise. And I look out of the window and I see just the final moments of it collapsing into the river. |
| "It really took quite a while for me to realise that this was not a planned explosion... to realise it was a tragedy." | "It really took quite a while for me to realise that this was not a planned explosion... to realise it was a tragedy." |
| Return Are you in Minneapolis? Have you seen the collapsed bridge? Use the form below to send us your eyewitness accounts. | Return Are you in Minneapolis? Have you seen the collapsed bridge? Use the form below to send us your eyewitness accounts. |
| You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial 61124. | You can send pictures and video to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or to send via MMS please dial 61124. |
| Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | Do not endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
| Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video | Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video |
| Name | Name |