Awful bridge collapse in Minnesota

Via the P-I comes an AP story about a horrifying bridge collapse in Minnesota.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The entire span of an interstate bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour Wednesday, sending vehicles, tons of concrete and twisted metal crashing into the water.

The Interstate 35W bridge, which stretches between Minneapolis and St. Paul, was in the midst of being repaired when it broke into several huge sections.

The bridge was apparently undergoing work when the collapse happened. It's not clear at this time how many fatalities there are, although CNN has reported on-air that there are three confirmed deaths.

The television images being shown on the cable networks are fearsome. The bridge is reportedly some 2,000 feet in length and was full of rush hour traffic. It appears from what is being shown that some vehicles fell into the river.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the brave first responders and ordinary citizens who have responded to this disaster. We wish our friends in Minneapolis the best at this difficult hour.

UPDATE 7:32 PM PDT: An update to the AP story, this time via The Seattle Times, gives a fatality count of at least six.

An interstate bridge suddenly broke into huge sections and collapsed into the Mississippi River during bumper-to-bumper traffic Wednesday, killing at least six people and sending vehicles, tons of concrete and twisted metal crashing into the water.

Cable news outlets have been reporting on the heroic efforts of firefighters, police officers and ordinary citizens. One especially compelling account told how a passer by helped pull children from a school bus that was on the bridge when it collapsed.