Highway bridge collapses in Minneapolis

In case you haven’t yet heard, a highway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed Wednesday during the heart of evening rush hour traffic. The school bus you see in the photo below was filled with children returning from a day of swimming. CNN said that all children were safely removed from the bus, and I have neither seen nor heard any word on injuries any of the children may have sustained. One of the kids told CNN the bus bounced twice then came to rest with the front door wedged against the concrete barrier, and that they escaped out the rear door of the bus.

Some sources say 6 died, some say 7; there is very loud silence as to what may be the cause of the collapse. It appears the bridge was under construction, and some reports say a jackhammer was being used at the time of the collapse, but most reports that I have seen personally (mainly courtesy of CNN) seemed to be a little too vehemently making the point to say that it is “unclear” as to the actual cause at this time, almost as if to say–in my opinion–that they don’t want to say. Obviously a clear determination cannot be made without closer inspection by the proper authorities, but early reports sure sound like there could soon be some trouble looming in the form of lawsuits, or at the very least, serious culpability.

To the families of those killed in this devastating accident, I offer my deepest condolences. To those injured, Godspeed on a quick recovery.