Bridge Rated 'Structurally Deficient' in 2005

(NEWSER) - The body of a 2-year-old girl is among those recovered from the wreckage of the I35W bridge in Minneapolis; the toddler's mother has not yet been found, CNN reports. Remains located by divers in the Mississippi today bring the total number of casualties in the Aug. 1 collapse to at least nine. More»

'My car pointed straight down and we fell'

(NEWSER) - The death toll in the catastrophic bridge collapse over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis has hit 7, with other victims fighting for their lives, CNN reports. One bystander says cars were "completely crushed" after suddenly plunging into the river during rush hour Wednesday evening when the 40-year-old bridge gave way. At least 60 people were rushed to hospitals. More»

Confirmed death toll climbs to 7; at least 6 more remain missing

(NEWSER) - Authorities recovered two more bodies from the wreckage of the I-35W bridge today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports, bringing the official death toll to seven. One of the bodies has already been identified, and police anticipated retrieving a third as work continued for a seventh full day in and around the Mississippi River. More»

Same metal plates are used by hundreds of other bridges

(NEWSER) - Federal experts investigating the Minneapolis bridge disaster have identified a structural flaw that may have led to the collapse, reports the New York Times. Investigators suspect that steel gusset plates used to connect the girders weren't strong enough to support the bridge right from the start. Federal authorities immediately warned states to be careful to calculate added weight when assigning construction crews to work on bridges. More»

Jigsaw parts to be examined; search for victims continues

(NEWSER) - NTSB investigators will rebuild the wreckage of the I-35W bridge downriver, the Star Tribune reports. Safety officials will examine the twisted rubble piece by piece in an attempt to figure out what caused last week's devastating collapse. Investigators also hope to recover bodies still trapped in the debris. More»