Divers combed the dark, debris-strewn waters of the Mississippi River on Thursday searching for up the 30 people missing after a major bridge collapsed at rush hour, killing at least four people.
Officials expected the death toll to rise, with dozens of cars and trucks dumped in the river after massive sections of the eight-lane bridge roadway were sheared off on Wednesday evening in this mid-western United States city.
As recovery work continued, questions mounted about the cause of the spectacular collapse of the bridge, which was reduced to a wreck of twisted metal and concrete.
White House spokesperson Tony Snow said a 2005 federal report found ”structural deficiencies” in the bridge, which the state was responsible for repairing.
Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman told Fox News television that the report ”raises a lot of concerns”.
”The bottom line is that a major piece of infrastructure collapsed without any notice and has caused a great deal of devastation. Again, we have to figure out exactly how this happened,” Coleman said.
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty told CNN that at least four people were confirmed dead, revising downward an earlier toll of seven from the collapse, which plunged dozens of vehicles into the Mississippi river.
”There’s no question the fatality number will go up,” Pawlenty told NBC, as recovery workers resumed their search for victims.
”We know there are a number of cars in the water we haven’t been able to get to and they’ve been there submerged since last evening … so the fatality number is likely to go up.”
Recovery teams could see at least 50 vehicles submerged in the Mississippi River, television reports said.
”The recovery involving those vehicles and people who may be in those vehicles is going to take a long time,” Minneapolis police chief Tim Dolan said, briefing reporters on the recovery mission.
Witnesses reported dramatic scenes as the 20m-high span disintegrated.
”The bridge started falling, cars were flying everywhere and I saw the water coming up,” said Catherine Yankelevich, who was driving across the bridge when it fell.
Her car ended up in the water but she managed to roll down her window and swim to safety.
After four hours of frantic rescue efforts before nightfall, the head of the fire department said the focus on Thursday would shift from search to recovery.
Jim Clack said more than 60 people were taken to hospital and it was unlikely that any more survivors would be found.
”We have moved from a rescue mode … to a recovery mode,” he said.
In Washington, Department of Homeland Security officials said there was no sign that the bridge’s collapse was the result of terrorism.
A 2001 report by the state transport department concluded that the bridge ”should not have any problems with fatigue cracking in the foreseeable future” and recommended not to replace the bridge ”prematurely.”
But it also pointed to problems with corrosion in the bridge’s steel beams, ”poor welding,” and said it was designed under 1961 regulations that have since been rewritten with stricter rules. — AFP
