A freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed Wednesday, killing at least six people and plunging cars and chunks of concrete into the river below, CNN reported.
Television footage showed that the central section of the eight-lane bridge caved in, leaving some survivors and cars stranded on parts that are not completely submerged.
The Interstate 35W bridge in the largest city of the midwestern U.S. state collapsed at about 6:05 p.m. local time (2305 GMT).
A tractor-trailer caught fire, sending heavy black smoke billowing into the sky.
The state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department said there were "lots" of injuries and there were 50 to 100 cars on the bridge at the time.
CNN reported that there were at least 37 injuries.
It is still not clear at this point what caused the collapse.
Media reports said a school bus full of children was on the bridge when it collapsed, but they also said the bus did not drop into the water and it appeared that the children had all been evacuated.
Nighttime construction work took place on the bridge Tuesday night and was to take place again Wednesday night, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT).
The highway would have been restricted to a single lane in both directions from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on both nights.
In Washington, the Homeland Security Department has so far received no indications that the collapse was an act of terrorism and said it will continue to monitor the situation.
The arched bridge, which was built in 1967, rises about 20 meters above the river.
About 100,000 cars travel over this bridge each day according to MnDOT and it is believed there were at least 50 cars on the bridge when it collapsed.
Firefighters and other rescue personnel are having a hard time reaching all the injured because of the debris and the location.
Kent Barnard of MnDOT is at the scene and said he has never seen anything like this in his life, comparing the damage to a California earthquake.
Hennepin County Medical Center said it has treated 29 patients from the collapse and one of them has died.
A news conference is scheduled for 0145 GMT at City Hall of Minneapolis regarding the collapse.
Source: Xinhua
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