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MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota : At least seven people were killed after a freeway bridge over the Mississippi river collapsed on Wednesday, plunging cars and trucks together with massive chunks of concrete into the rushing waters, officials said. Several cars were flung into the river and others crushed as parts of the bridge were sheared off. A semi-truck caught fire after it was sliced in half, while a busload of children was stranded on a collapsed section of the roadway. Some estimates said dozens of vehicles fell into the river, but that could not be confirmed. "At this point we have seven confirmed fatalities, and we expect that number to go up as well," said Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack. He said that more than 60 people were sent to hospitals, and added that rescue operations in the river had been halted due to darkness. "There's too much debris in the river to continue in the river tonight," he said in a press conference. In Washington, Department of Homeland Security officials said there was no sign that the eight-lane bridge's collapse was the result of terrorism, adding that it appeared to be linked to engineering issues. Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty said the 40-year-old bridge was last inspected in 2006 and no significant structural problems were found. "They notified us from an engineering standpoint the deck may have to be rehabilitated or replaced in 2020 or beyond," he said. There was, however, construction taking place on the bridge "relating to concrete repair and rehabilitation and replacement, guard rail replacement, righting replacement and work on the joints," he said. Images shot by local television showed a disastrous scene of people crouching on bent and crumpled concrete with parts of the bridge submerged in the brown river as smoke and flames drifted from the wreckage. Rescue workers tied with yellow rope waded through the water and used boats to reach people stranded in the middle of the river. A school bus loaded with 60 children with a church group could be seen on the bridge but did not fall into the river as it collapsed. The children were all rescued, although ten of them were taken to hospital, the Red Cross said. At the time of the accident, only one lane of the bridge was open in either direction when it collapsed shortly after 6pm (2300 GMT), right in the middle of the local rush hour. Ramon Houge was driving on the bridge when he heard a rumbling noise, saw the ground collapse in front of him and watched cars go down into the water. Traffic was bumper-to-bumper at the time, and he estimated hundreds of people must have been involved. "It didn't seem like it was real," he said. Those still on solid ground backed up as best they could and he saw kids on a yellow school bus with blood on their faces. Sarah Fahnhorst, who lives in an apartment a block away from the bridge, heard a huge thud and then "the entire building shook. It shook the ground," she said. Russ Knocke, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, told AFP that there was no suggestion of terrorism involved in the disaster. "There are no indications of a nexus to terrorism at this time," Knocke said. "We continue to monitor the situation. State and local officials have the lead in rescue and response efforts." The 40-year-old arch bridge which rises 64 feet (20 metres) over the river was undergoing repairs at the time of the accident, and there were reports that construction workers were using a jackhammer at the time of the collapse, AFP has learned. - AFP/ch http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../291784/1/.html

http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/...309-203454.html Sounds like Hollywood movie, but this is REAL. "...The terrified motorist was helpless as the car hurtled out of control along the road at speeds more than 90 miles per hour. However Sikes was able to call police, and officers using a loudspeaker talked the driver through the process of slowing down by using his emergency brake and then turning off the engine. Police then pulled in front of the car as it decelerated and rolled to a stop and put the rear bumper of the squad car against the front of the Prius...."