U.S. & World News

MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ― New at 10:34 p.m. CT:

One young man helped all of the children out of the back door of the bus that contained 60 children. Instead of rushing to safety many other people ran to the bus to help the children. All of those kids are safe.

New at 10:33 p.m.:

Firefighters swam car to car to look for survivors in the Mississippi River.

New at 10:31 p.m.:

According to reports, at least 60 people have been injured.

New at 10:29 p.m.:

Clack said a lot of spaces around the collapsed bridge are hard to get into. Structural engineers will tell rescuers when it is safe to go into those area.

New at 10:28 p.m.:

Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said the number of deaths from the bridge collapse has climbed to seven.

New at 10:27 p.m.:

If people want to donate blood or money they can call the Red Cross or visiting their Web site at redcrosstc.org.

New at 10:26 p.m.:

Ted Canova with the said red cross said: "We had plan, we were ready, housed 60 kids from school bus. We were there waiting for families when they were reunited with kids."

New at 10:25 p.m.:

Minneapolis Police say avoid the area of the collapse and take your time getting to work.

New at 10:22 p.m.:

"Obviously, this is a catastrophe of historic proportions for Minnesota," said Gov. Tim Pawlenty. "And right now we are focused on making sure that we are doing everything to respond to the needs of those individuals that may have been harmed in this incident."

New at 10:20 p.m.:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty said the bridge was inspected by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in 2005 and 2006 and that no structural problems were noted. "There were some minor things that needed attention," he said.

New at 10:18 p.m.:

"First and foremost we want to say to the families that our heart and prayers are with you.," said Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

New at 10:16 p.m.:

Memorial Blood Centers are CLOSED for the evening. They will re-open at 9 a.m. on Thursday. People CAN walk-in to donate blood, however everyone is urged to first call 1-888-GIVE-BLD. Their hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday.

New at 10:14 p.m.:

Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau is in China and she is heading back to Minnesota as soon as possible.

New at 10:12 p.m.:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he promised a substantial response to the collapse.

New at 10:09 p.m.:

Many people from a nearby apartment building got to the collapse site before the emergency personnel.

New at 10:07 p.m.:

The bus the had 60 children inside landed in a way that did not toss the children out of the bus. People were able to help the kids out of the bus through the back door.

New at 10:03 p.m.:

Four surgeries have been performed at HCMC on victims of the bridge collapse. One victim that came into HCMC was pregnant.

New at 10:00 p.m.:

From the Pillsbury United Communities Web site concerning the children that were on the bus: All children and adults on a bus involved in the 35W bridge collapse near University Avenue on Wednesday evening have been accounted for and their parents or guardians have been notified. The children from Waite House Neighborhood Center were returning from a field trip. Eight of the children and two staff members were hospitalized. No further information is available at this time. HCMC has set up a hot line for patients. That number 612-873-3400.

New at 9:59 p.m.:

North Memorial reports that they have 9 patients transported to their hospital.

Rep. Keith Ellison, a Democrat who represents Minneapolis, said he would also be traveling back to the area on Thursday.

New at 9:58 p.m.:

"This is just a mile from my home, a bridge I use all the time," said Minn. Sen. Amy Klobuchar. "Our hearts go out to all of the families."

"Right now, we need to rescue every person we can, and make sure they get the best health care they can," Klobuchar added. "It's unbelievable. To think that something that mammoth can collapse is just beyond imagination."

New at 9:57 p.m.:

The University of Minnesota said all classes will be held as usual and university operations will be normal despite the bridge collapse that will divert traffic from one route to the university.

University vice president Kathleen O'Brien says officials have determined that the campus is accessible by a number of routes, but students, staff and faculty should plan for possible delays due to traffic rerouting.

New at 9:55 p.m.:

Several pastors and religious leaders are going to the Holiday Inn Metrodome where the families of victims are gathering.

New at 9:53 p.m.:

Metro Transit said it will offer additional bus service from its north metro park-and-ride locations Thursday morning to help reduce congestion resulting from the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.

Metro Transit said 25 extra busses will be put into service from six until nine Thursday morning to supplement existing transit service from the park-and-ride locations. There will be staff on hand to help new customers needing assistance.

Afternoon service to those north locations also will be beefed up. Plans are still evolving for additional service beyond Thursday.

New at 9:51 p.m.:

Senator Norm Coleman is in Washington DC tonight. He plans to fly to Minneapolis Thursday along with Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters.

New at 9:49 p.m.:

Associated Press: The Minnesota Twins have postponed Thursday's game against Kansas City following a bridge collapse near the Metrodome and team president Dave St. Peter said their weekend series with Cleveland also could be affected.

The Twins also postponed Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony for the team's new stadium, which will be located downtown.

Twins officials decided to play Wednesday night's game after conferring with department of public safety officials. It was decided that sending 20,000-25,000 people back into traffic could hinder rescue efforts.

"It is a difficult situation, but it was the right thing to do to play tonight," St. Peter said. "Tomorrow is a different story. Not playing tomorrow is also a matter of traffic control. We are respectful of the situation and for the lives lost."

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was scheduled to be in town for Thursday's groundbreaking. St. Peter said Major League Baseball is aware of the situation and the postponements.

He also said that, to the best of his knowledge, all Twins front office personnel and player's families are safe.

There was no immediate word on the number of injuries in the collapse, but aerial footage on a local television station showed dozens of rescue vehicles.

New at 9:47 p.m.:

Mayor of Minneapolis said they are doing their best to re-route traffic. Light rail is still running as people begin to leave the Twins Game.

New at 9:40 p.m.:

The bridge features an anti-ice system which is a series of PVC pipes that carry a deicer fluid to outlets that are drilled into the deck of the bridge. When the temperature for ice is right, the deicer fluid is pumped onto the bridge deck.

New at 9:37 p.m.:

The kids on the bus were attending a summer program sponsored by the Waite House. Waite House is located in the Phillips neighborhood in South Minneapolis. The Waite House is a community center that is part of the Pillsbury United Communities organization.

New at 9:36 p.m.:

The bridge's claim to fame is that it was built with a single 458 foot long steel arch to avoid putting any piers in the water to impede river navigation

New at 9:33 p.m.

The Mississippi River bridge is 64 feet above the water and the channel width is 390 feet.

New at 9:30 p.m.:

"We were just coming across the bridge and the school bus in front of me started leaning to the right," said one woman who was on the bus when it collapsed. "I think we were the luckiest one."

New at 9:27 p.m.

Jamie Winegar of Houston said she was sitting in traffic when all of a sudden she started hearing "boom, boom, boom and we were just dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping."

The car she was riding in landed on top of a smaller car but did not fall into the water. She said her nephew yelled, "'It's an earthquake!' and then we realized the bridge was collapsing."

New at 9:25 p.m.

Storms have moved out of the area. A cell of storms is moving through the Coon Rapids area but it should stay north of Minneapolis

New at 9:24 p.m.:

Associated Press reports: Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., said he spoke with Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, and that both of them along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., will be flying to the Twin Cities early Thursday.

While the focus has to be on emergency response, Coleman said, authorities will have to also set up a transportation system.

"Down the road, they will be doing full a forensic analysis to see what caused this," Coleman said.

New at 9:22 p.m.:

People that were injured were sent to various hospitals depending on what side of the river they were on.

New at 9:21 p.m.:

Associated Press reports: There were no immediate reports on the total number of injured, but Dr. Joseph Clinton, emergency medical chief at Hennepin County Medical Center, said the hospital treated 28 injured people -- including six who were critical.

New at 9:19 p.m.:

Mpls. Police Chief Tim Dolan: Do not believe it was an act of terrorism and they interviewing everyone who was near the bridge or on the bridge.

Pawlenty said investigations will continue and that in all likely hood it was structural failure

New at 9:16 p.m.:

Pawlenty said no structural problems identified in bridge in 2004-2006 (from mndot inspection)

New at 9:14 p.m.:

From St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman's office: The city's emergency infrastructure is responding to the bridge collapse with all requested resources. We are in contact with officials in Minneapolis and have offered every available resource in response. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragedy.

New at 9:12 p.m.:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty said the collapse is "castrophe of historic proportions". The Governor was at the collapse earlier this evenin.g

New at 9:09 p.m.:

Mayor R.T. Rybak reports that 6 people are dead.

New at 9:07 p.m.:

Regions Hospital is prepared to receive accident victims from the I-35 bridge collapse. Currently, however, nobody has been brought to Regions.

New at 9:05 p.m.:

"It sounded like a bomb and we ducked," said one man who works at a gas station near the collapse.

New at 9:03 p.m.:

According to Minneapolis Police: police officers are doing seachers as a precaution but they say they do not believe this was an act of terrorism.

New at 9:01 p.m.:

Number of people at Fairview University – U of M Medical Center: 25 patients walked in for treatment, 5 patients arrived by ambulance, 1 of those patients needed surgery (broken arm)

New at 8:59 p.m.:

Authorities are telling people to use 4th Ave South onto 35W South, 3rd St West into 394/94, avoid ing Washington Ave.

Victim Families with questions are asked to go to the Metrodome Holiday Inn in the Ballroom at 1500 Washington Ave..


New at 8:57 p.m.:

According to Norm Coleman who spoke with federal transportation officials, the bridge was last inspected in 2004.

New at 8:56 p.m.:

According to an NTSB spokesperson, members of an NTSB highway investigation team will be heading to Minneapolis from different parts of the country first thing Thursday morning.

New at 8:54 p.m.:

A female police officer with a rope tied around her waist swam into the river to search for victims in cars.

New at 8:52 p.m.:

A man who was helping children off the bus said that he was afraid a car near the bus could roll and crush them. All the kids were off the bus before the fire from a nearby truck spread.

New at 8:51 p.m.

All of the children that were on the bus are with a program called Way House and they were coming home from a field trip to the beach.

New at 8:46 p.m.:

Three Salvation Army mobile feeding units along with more than a dozen emergency responders are on scene at the 35W collapse.

New at 8:43 p.m.:

Stehly said investigators will take samples of the concrete and steel to determine the cause of the collapse

New at 8:42 p.m.:

Concrete work was being done on the bridge but nothing that would distrupt the structure, according to Stehly.

New at 8:40 p.m.:

According to civil engineer Richard Stehly, bridges are checked at least every three years.

New at 8:38 p.m.:

According to civil engineer Richard Stehly, the investigators will look at the position of the debris to figure out the reason for the collapse.

New at 8:36 p.m.:

The Minnesota Twins tell WCCO-TV's Mark Rosen that they almost canceled tonight's game, but were told NOT TO CANCEL to avoid sending all those people back onto the road at a critical time.

The Twins are advising people about how to get away from the dome after the game.

New at 8:35 p.m.:

Associated Press reports: "There were two lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, at the point of the collapse. Those cars did go into the river," Minneapolis Police Lt. Amelia Huffman. "At this point there is nothing to suggest that this was anything other than a structural collapse."

New at 8:33 p.m.:

The following is a statement from Daniel Wolter, spokesman for the University of Minnesota:

"University of Minnesota police and emergency management personnel are actively supporting the recovery efforts surrounding the I-35W bridge collapse. The safety and well being of those affected by this tragedy is of paramount concern to the University community and we will continue to monitor the situation and provide appropriate support to our local, state and federal agency partners."

New at 8:32 p.m.:

The bridge crushed a train that was traveling under it at the time of the collapse.

New at 8:31 p.m.:

Civil engineer Richard Stehly will be joining Don Shelby on WCCO-TV to talk about the structure of the bridge and what might have happened.

New at 8:29 p.m.:

Associated Press reports: The Homeland Security Department had received no indications Wednesday night that the collapse was related to an act of terrorism, department spokesman Russ Knocke said in Washington.

New at 8:28 p.m.:

Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety Michael Campion and Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak will speak to the press at 8:45 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center located at Minneapolis City Hall.

New at 8:26 p.m.:

Signs on the highway smashed cars on the bridge

New at 8:24 p.m.:

Associated Press reports: Christine Swift's 10-year-old daughter, Kaleigh, was on the bus that was on the bridge, returning from a field trip to Bunker Hills in Blaine. She said her daughter called her about 6:10 p.m.

"She was screaming, 'The bridge collapsed,"' Swift said.

She said a police officer told her all the kids got off the bus safely.

Josetta Ollison, of Minneapolis, said her 4-year-old daughter and 6-year-old niece also were on the bus.

"I haven't been able to talk to them, but they tell me they're OK," she said.

New at 8:23 p.m.

Numbers from HCMC - 22 people with limb injuries, 6 with critical traumas and one deceased from drowning.

New at 8:22 p.m.:

Medical staff is being called in to HCMC from nurses, internist and other doctors.

New at 8:20 p.m.

HCMC doctor says people suffered head injuries and internal injuries similar to what would happen in a car accident.

New at 8:18 p.m.:

HCMC doctor believes there are more drowning victims at the scene

New at 8:17 p.m.:

Concrete rehabilitation was being done on the bridge

New at 8:16 p.m.:

Six people with severe trauma are being treated at HCMC

New at 8:14 p.m.

According to doctor at HCMC at least one person died due to drowning.

New at 8:12 p.m.:

Severe weather is in the area with ground to cloud lightning, according to WCCO-TV's Paul Douglas.

New at 8:10 p.m.:

Governor Tim Pawlenty will be holding a press conference this evening somewhere near the bridge collapse.

New at 8:07 p.m.:

"My wife was driving the school bus," the bus driver's husband said. "She's fine ... She said her knee is hurt."

Two people have been taken to North Memorial hospital with injuries -- being assessed right now, not sure on extent.

New at 8:05 p.m.:

American Red Cross says 60 kids were on school bus and 10 have been taken to a hospital. About 30 children are still at the Red Cross staging area and need to be picked up by their parents.

It is located along Washington Avenue at 13th and 12th

New at 8:04 p.m.:

Storms are entering the area

New at 8:03 p.m.:

A doctor at HCMC will be holding a press conference momentarily to update on conditions of patients

New at 8:01 p.m.:

Cell phone networks in the Twin Cities are jammed and people at the scene are having a tough time getting ahold of loved ones

16 trauma patients have been admitted to HCMC in Minneapolis

New at 8 p.m.:

Twins postpone Thursday's game against the Royals and postpone groundbreaking for the new stadium that was scheduled for Thursday.

New at 7:58 p.m.:

Workers from a St. Michael company called Progressive were working on the bridge - they have not been in touch with those workers yet.

New at 7:57 p.m.:

Paul McCabe, a spokesman with the FBI in Minneapolis, said agents responded to the bridge and would conduct any necessary investigations.

"Although it is much too early to make any determination of the cause, we have no reason at this time to believe there is any nexus to terrorism," he said.

Brian Turmail, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation, said the department is getting briefed on the collapse, but it was mainly being handed by local agencies.

"Right now the focus is on saving lives," he said.

All four lanes of the Interstate 35W Mississippi River bridge near University Avenue has collapsed into the river and onto businesses underneath the highway at 6:05 p.m. Wednesday.

According to reports from the scene, crews on the Mississippi River are no longer in rescue mode but recovery mode.

Cars are still on the bridge.

According to a structural engineer who spoke with WCCO-TV's Don Shelby, it doesn't appear to be a concrete failure but that the steel failed.

Some people are stranded on parts of the bridge that aren't completely in the water.

"I couldn't event even count how many cars went off the bridge," said one woman who witnesses the collapse from her apartment. "We're helping people on backboards."

She said she pulled 12 out of river and said there were people that were deceased.

WCCO-AM reported that one body was scene being pulled from the area, covered with a blue sheet.

A tractor-trailer is still on fire at the collapse scene with plumes of smoke clouding the sky.

"I thought it was just construction going on ... it was a free fall all the way to the ground," said one person who was on the bridge at the time. "Thank God I was wearing my seat belt. The only thing I was hit was the steering wheel."

According to that same witness it was bumper to bumper traffic when the bridge collapsed.

Some cars are still precariously perched on the bridge. Sections of the bridge are mangled, some are pointing up in the air and some are in the river.

"My truck got completely torn in half," said Gary Bavanaugh, who was on the bridge when it collapsed. "The bridge started shaking and it went down fast."

Bavanaugh said he was headed northbound on I-35W when he heard a huge rumbling and he saw a huge cloud of white dust as the bridge collapsed. He had his seatbelt on and said if he hadn't, his head would have gone through the windshield.

Bavanaugh said a school bus full of children was ahead of him. He got on the bus and helped children, who he estimated to be 8-12 years old, off the bus and off the bridge.

"It is just horrific," said witness Marilyn Franzen, who saw the bridge collapse. Franzen said she saw a school bus that managed to stop before the going over the edge of the bridge that she said was carrying 20-30 children.

According to witnesses, cars are crushed and mangled under the bridge where it collapsed onto the shore of the river. Street signs also crushed cars.

People are being sent to Hennepin County Medical Center which is very close to the scene of the collapse.

The bridge was opened in 1967 and crosses the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

A maintenance project began about nine months ago repairing potholes and other concrete on the bridge. According to a spokesperson from the Mn-DOT, there was no work on the actual structure under the bridge.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be holding a press conference this evening about the collapse.

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)