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Bridge Efforts Shift from Rescue to Recovery

Vehicles rest on a collapsed section of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. The eight-lane, steel and concrete bridge broke apart Wednesday, sending at least 50 vehicles into the Mississippi River.
Scott Olson
/
Getty Images
Vehicles rest on a collapsed section of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis. The eight-lane, steel and concrete bridge broke apart Wednesday, sending at least 50 vehicles into the Mississippi River.

After the collapse of the I-35 West bridge Wednesday, authorities are now focused on accounting for missing people and recovering the bodies of victims. They are treating the site as a crime scene, hoping to preserve as much evidence as possible to determine the cause of the collapse.

The destruction of this key highway left commuter traffic snarled Thursday morning in the Minneapolis area, and police are on the streets redirecting traffic to other bridges.

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Jason Beaubien is NPR's Global Health and Development Correspondent on the Science Desk.