Late Nite FDL: Falling Down

Late breaking news has taken precedence over the rather fluffy post that previously occupied this space. What’s everyone hearing about what’s happening in Minneapolis/St. Paul?

This is all I have so far:

An Interstate highway bridge in central Minneapolis loaded with rush-hour traffic dropped more than 60 feet into the Mississippi River tonight, sending at least 50 vehicles and passengers into the water below.

Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis said that at least six people were killed in the bridge collapse. Local officials warned that the number of fatalities was likely to increase through the night. One witness told CNN that a policeman said he had seen seven bodies. Dozens of injured drivers and passengers were taken to area hospitals.

The eight-lane Interstate 35 bridge, a major link between Minneapolis and St. Paul, was being repaired at the time, and an eyewitness told MSNBC that he had heard a jackhammer being used on the roadway just before the collapse at about 6 p.m. local time. Witnesses said the bridge, which was built in 1967, collapsed in three sections, sending a plume of smoke 100 feet into the sky.

The AP wire here in the radio control room says 6 dead, 28 injured. Please take a moment tonight to pray for the families affected by this tragedy.

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