5 Dead in Minneapolis Bridge Collapse; First Victims Identified

Eight people are still missing.

A televised image from a Minneapolis television station shows the Interstate 35W bridge after it collapsed into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

(MINNEAPOLIS) - Divers have resumed their search for victims hidden in the murky, swirling waters of the Mississippi River, in what authorities say will be a slow and dangerous recovery operation after the Interstate 35W bridge buckled and collapsed, sending cars and trucks into the waters 64-feet below during the evening rush hour in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

Divers with only a foot of visibility located some of the vehicles that were hurled into the river when the 40-year-old bridge gave way.

"There are more than 10 vehicles in the river," Fire Chief Jim Clack said, without saying if there were victims inside.

Divers found 11 vehicles, including an 18-wheeler, Lynn Schwartz, Communication Specialist for the Bridge Collapse Command Center told CNN.

Five people are confirmed dead and authorities said eight were still missing, down from as many as 30 earlier in the day.

The confirmed dead were identified as: 60-year-old Sherry Lou Engebretsen, of Shoreview, Minnesota; 32-year-old Julia Blackhawk, of Savage, Minnesota; 36-year-old Patrick Holmes, of Mounds View, Minnesota; and 29-year-old Artemio Trinidad-Mena, of Minneapolis.

Rescuers are checking plates on submerged cars to try to identify other potential victims officials said.

The underwater search will resume Friday morning.

Federal authorities quickly ruled out terrorism as a cause, but state and federal safety officials said inspections of the heavily traveled bridge had not shown that it was unsafe.

Governor Tim Pawlenty said the 40-year-old steel arch bridge was last inspected in 2006 and no structural problems were found.

A school bus loaded with 57 children from a church group could be seen on the bridge but did not fall into the river as it collapsed.

The children were all rescued, although 10 of them were taken to hospital, the Red Cross said.

Governor Pawlenty on Thursday signed an emergency executive order declaring a peacetime emergency and activating the State Emergency Operations Center.

The Governor has directed all State agencies to provide necessary assistance to help local, state and federal units of government respond and recover from the collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

The emergency executive order will remain in effect until the conclusion of the emergency.

The following is the text of Emergency Executive Order 07-09:

I, TIM PAWLENTY, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the applicable statutes, do hereby issue this Executive Order:

WHEREAS, on August 1, 2007 at approximately 6:05 pm, the Interstate 35W bridge spanning the Mississippi collapsed totally destroying the bridge; and

WHEREAS, the catastrophic collapse of the bridge caused significant injuries and loss of life; and

WHEREAS, the response to the collapse has involved City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and other local, state and federal emergency response agencies; and

WHEREAS, significant local, state and federal resources are needed to continue recovery efforts, investigate the cause of the collapse and respond to the continuing needs of the victims of the collapse and infrastructure needs of the City of Minneapolis, the state and the nation; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I hereby order that:

A peacetime emergency under Minnesota Statutes, Section 12.21 exists as a result of the collapse of the bridge effective 6:05 p.m. CST.

The damage caused by the collapse of the bridge also meets the definition of a disaster as defined in Minnesota Statutes, Section 12.03, Subdivision.

The Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will open the State Emergency Operations Center and continue activation of the Minnesota Emergency Operations Plan, including the provision of on-site support and assistance to the affected local governments.

All state agencies are directed to provide the assistance necessary to help local, state and federal units of government respond to and recover from this emergency.

The extent of the damage to Interstate 35W, impact on the governments, employers, and residents of the city, county and state are severe and constitute an emergency contemplated by the terms of 23 U.S.C. 120(e) and 125.

Damage to Interstate 35W, a Federal aid highway, is extensive and significantly impairs the transportation infrastructure of the city, county and State such that immediate repairs and rebuilding are vital to the security, well-being, health and commerce of the residents of the Sate of Minnesota.

I request that the Secretary of Transportation, or other appropriate federal highway official, concur in the declaration of this emergency.

The Department of Public Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and other state agencies are directed to work with local and federal officials to determine the need for supplemental federal assistance and take all actions necessary to obtain needed assistance.

All state agencies are directed to provide support, assistance and cooperation as requested by the National Transportation Safety Board, which has been identified as the lead agency investigating the cause of the bridge collapse.

Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 2006, 4.035, Subdivision 2, this emergency executive order shall be effective immediately and will remain in effect until the conclusion of the emergency.