Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

As many as 79 Injured, 30 Missing, and Four Confirmed Dead in Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

As many as 30 people were missing and 79 people were injured after a bridge collapsed over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday, police said.

Divers continued to search for more bodies trapped inside cars that plummeted more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River after the eight-lane Interstate 35 bridge collapsed during the rush hour on Wednesday.

Several dozens of cars plummeted into the river, some falling on top of one another. At least one dozen cars plunged in to the water, trapping individuals under heavy debris.

Four individuals have been confirmed dead, but authorities expect the death toll to rise. Authorities initially reported at least seven people were dead, but lowered the toll to four on Thursday morning.

Police estimate that 20 to 30 people remain unaccounted for, and fire officials maintain that emergency work at the site was no longer a rescue operation but instead a recovery operation.

Mark Rosenker, chairmen of the National Transportation Safety Board, stated that a “complex investigation” would be underway to determine the cause of the bridge collapse. One of the first tasks would be to assemble the pieces of the bridge like a “jigsaw puzzle,” he said.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced Thursday that based on Minnesota’s request, $5 million in federal relief will be available to the state to repair the I-35 bridge.

The lawyers of AWKO remain committed to seeking justice for individuals who have been injured by the Minnesota bridge collapse.