Ninth Victim Found in Minneapolis Bridge Wreckage

Shannon Weidemann

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A victim of the Minneapolis bridge collapse was pulled from the wreckage today bringing the death toll to nine. Three victims were found yesterday. The investigation for the bridge collapse received a new piece of evidence as well that may prove very helpful in figuring out what went wrong.

The investigation into the cause of the collapse will be aided by an aerial photograph taken just before the accident from a passing airliner that shows what was on the bridge and where, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Mark Rosenker said.

The photograph shows the placement of construction equipment, which has become a focus of investigators trying to determine which part of the bridge gave way initially and whether extra weight was a factor.

They are closely examining the steel gusset plates on the bridge and ones like it. They may have had a design flaw that caused the bridge to collapse. A computer modeling program will be used to help aid the investigation.

The Minneapolis bridge collapsed last week during rush hour traffic. A kayaker that was seen under the bridge has called into a hotline and will be interviewed by authorities.

For more information on this subject matter, please review our section on the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse.