MINNEAPOLIS —  An interstate bridge jammed with rush-hour traffic suddenly broke into huge sections and collapsed into the Mississippi River, pitching dozens of cars 60 feet into the water and killing at least seven people.  Minneapolis Fire Chief Jim Clack said more than least 60 people were injured and the death toll could rise.

The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, was in the midst of being repaired and had several lanes closed when it crumbled Wednesday evening.

"There were two lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, at the point of the collapse. Those cars did go into the river," Minneapolis Police Lt. Amelia Huffman said. "At this point there is nothing to suggest that this was anything other than a structural collapse."

Witnesses Describe Bridge Collapse

Jamie Winegar said she was sitting in traffic when she suddenly started hearing "boom, boom, boom and we were just dropping, dropping, dropping, dropping."

The car she was riding in landed on top of a smaller car but did not fall into the water. She said her nephew yelled, "'It's an earthquake!' and then we realized the bridge was collapsing."

Mayor R.T. Rybak said at least six people were killed. There were no immediate reports on the total number of injured, but Dr. Joseph Clinton, emergency medical chief at Hennepin County Medical Center, said the hospital treated 28 injured people — including six who were in critical condition.

Other hospitals also were treating the injured. Clinton said at least one of the victims had drowned.

Source:  ap/foxnews.com