WI - 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapses!

[christine2448]

I looked back a couple of pages and didn't see this mentioned, forgive me if I am repeating, I took a moment to just whisper a prayer for those who lost a loved one:

There are so far five confirmed deaths in the accident:

Paul Eickstadt, 51, of Mounds View, Minn., the driver of the tractor-trailer that fell into a gap in the bridge and burst into flames.

Sherry Lou Engebretsen, 60, of Shoreview, Minn., who died of multiple blunt-force injuries.

Julia Blackhawk, 32, of Savage, Minn., who died of blunt-force trauma.

Patrick Holmes, 36, of Mounds View, who drowned.

Artemio Trinidad-Mena, 29, of Minneapolis, who died of blunt-force injuries.


http://www.wjactv.com/news/13801620...reak&ts=T&tmi=john_natlbreak_1_06430208022007

 

[christine2448]

I looked back more and found 8 missing...these aren't the same names. Have these 8 been found?

Police have cautioned the number of missing could still rise because it's possible some victims have not been reported missing. Investigators have names that haven't been connected to the bridge, and divers and recovery workers have found license plate numbers that don't belong to an identified missing person or survivor.

Among the missing are Vera Peck and her son, Richard Chit, who were in the same car. Family members said Richard Chit had Down syndrome, making him virtually inseparable from his mother.

"One of them wouldn't survive without the other so maybe that's just the way it's supposed to be," sister Caroline Chit told MSNBC through tears.

She and her sister said that Richard was 20 and about to turn 21. Authorities listed his age as 21.

The other six are Scott Sathers, 29, who worked at Capella University, an online school; Christine Sacorafas, 45, a recent transplant to Minnesota who taught Greek folk dancing class; Greg Jolstad, 45, a construction worker who was operating a skid loader on the bridge; Peter Hausmann, 47, a computer security specialist; and Somali immigrant Sadiya Sahal, 23, a pregnant nursing student, and her 2-year-old daughter, Hanah.

 

[MistyGirl]

Hi All - I live in Minnesota just about 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, I have driven over that bridge more times then I can count, it is such a sad tragic event, it breaks my heart.

This was sent to me by a customer of mine- still hard to even image this is real.

The website is in Russian, amazing how far around the world this has reached. Because this is a Russian site, you can't read it...but the pictures are the best I have see so far....when you open the site, scroll down....there are a few that are aerial views of the collapse

http://drugoi.livejournal.com/2280005.html

 

[cheko1]

I looked back more and found 8 missing...these aren't the same names. Have these 8 been found?

No Christine they have not been found yet.
Searchers have found several cars but no bodies in them.
They also found cars sandwiched under the bridge that had fallen. They have to move away big pieces of the bridge to get to some of the cars.

 

[cheko1]

Hi All - I live in Minnesota just about 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, I have driven over that bridge more times then I can count, it is such a sad tragic event, it breaks my heart.

This was sent to me by a customer of mine- still hard to even image this is real.

The website is in Russian, amazing how far around the world this has reached. Because this is a Russian site, you can't read it...but the pictures are the best I have see so far....when you open the site, scroll down....there are a few that are aerial views of the collapse

[URL="http://drugoi.livejournal.com/2280005.html"]http://drugoi.livejournal.com/2280005.html[/URL]

MistyGirl,
Thank you very much for the russian site.
The pictures are totally awesome, I agree with you they're the best I've seen to date.

 

[Buzz Mills]

On CNN: Divers from the Navy and FBI, who specialize in body retrieval, are being brought in to work along with the crews during the upcoming debris removal.

 

[JBean]

Hi All - I live in Minnesota just about 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, I have driven over that bridge more times then I can count, it is such a sad tragic event, it breaks my heart.

This was sent to me by a customer of mine- still hard to even image this is real.

The website is in Russian, amazing how far around the world this has reached. Because this is a Russian site, you can't read it...but the pictures are the best I have see so far....when you open the site, scroll down....there are a few that are aerial views of the collapse

http://drugoi.livejournal.com/2280005.html

Thank you Misty. Those pictures are truly incredible.
Devastation.

 

[MistyGirl]

MistyGirl,
Thank you very much for the russian site.
The pictures are totally awesome, I agree with you they're the best I've seen to date.

You're welcome, I have been wacthing on TV and I think these pictures give a much clear view of what happened.....so very scary

 

[JBean]

Is my understanding correct that there are submerged vehicles with license plates that do not match any of the missing, dead or survivors?

 

[Buzz Mills]

The NTSB seems to be focusing on the construction site, with all the heavy equipment, and the trucks that were parked on the bridge, loaded with resurfacing material--it looked like some type of (red ???)_, a lot of it was also dumped on the bridge. They also said there were reports that the bridge was showing signs of instability (rumbling vibrations) as they were removing surface materials during the construction work, and it had gotten worse, as more material was removed..

 

[MistyGirl]

Thank you Misty. Those pictures are truly incredible.
Devastation.

You're welcome - I was totally amazed when I saw them, it was hard to piece it all together and those pictures really show you the complete devastation.

I have wanted to go down and see the bridge first hand, but I have changed my mind for right now. One of our vendors plants is located right next to the bridge, their employee's were on break when they saw a huge street sign fall to the ground, heard a loud rumble and then the bridge collapsed. They ran inside and grabbed everyone and ran to help rescue people. They helped a handicap man our of a mini-van.....as I was looking at the pictures from he Russian website I see a blue mini-van with a ramp out the side door.....Hmmm I wonder if that was the man?

They said the have been order by the FBI & police that they can not do any shipping and receiving from their location right now as they are SOOO close to what they are calling a "crime scene" they have half their parking lot taped off with yellow crime tape. They hope to be able to start shipping & receiving tomorrow or Wed.

Here are 2 more pictures that my vendor took out of their back doors.

 

[Buzz Mills]

On CNN: Divers from the Navy and FBI, who specialize in body retrieval, are being brought in to work along with the crews during the upcoming debris removal.

I would imagine they, in addition to looking for bodies, will also primarily be looking for any forensic signs as to the beginning of the failure.

 

[MistyGirl]

There is going to be a live news conference in just a few minutes you can watch it live here http://www.kare11.com/

Next Event: MnDOT News Conference 10:30 a.m.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

More anxiety after the Minnesota bridge collapse? Know this!

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/blogs/rhmentalhealth/more-anxiety-after-th-6255

 

[christine2448]

No Christine they have not been found yet.
Searchers have found several cars but no bodies in them.
They also found cars sandwiched under the bridge that had fallen. They have to move away big pieces of the bridge to get to some of the cars.

Thanks. Very sad.

 

[JBean]

Is my understanding correct that there are submerged vehicles with license plates that do not match any of the missing, dead or survivors?

Can anyone confirm this. Sorry if I have missed it in the thread, I am at work and am just trying to skim from time to time.
thanks.

 

[cheko1]

Can anyone confirm this. Sorry if I have missed it in the thread, I am at work and am just trying to skim from time to time.
thanks.

I also heard this jbean......

I can't confirm it. But it stands to reason, I heard on a radio talk show that if someone can't prove a family member was on the bridge LE is totally discounting they were on it.

 

[cheko1]

Everyone has heard me complain about the Stillwater bridge in Mn. This came out in the Tribune.......the one I complain about is the bridge crossing the St Croix river. Pretty scarey statistics.

www.startribune.com/10204/story/1341088.html - 27k

 

[JBean]

Thanks Cheko

OT but I am hearing about a mine collapse in Utah due to an earthquake..no thread? Anyone?

 

[Buzz Mills]

Thanks Cheko

OT but I am hearing about a mine collapse in Utah due to an earthquake..no thread? Anyone?

4.0 earthquake, mine collapsed an hour? later. Six men trapped.