Bridge Collapses Into Skagit River, Washington

 

 

 

 

 

First images from the scene of the river showed cars in the water
 

Part of a road bridge has collapsed into the Skagit River in the state of Washington, officials
 say. Police said some vehicles were in the water after a section of the Interstate 5 highway collapsed.
The four-lane bridge is near Mount Vernon, about half way between the state's main city Seattle and the Canadian city of Vancouver. A state trooper reported that cars and people were in the water but it is not known if there are any casualties. It is a reasonable to assume there are injuries.

 The cause of the collapse is not known. Images on Twitter showed a section of the bridge in the river with cars partly submerged. In one image a person is seen sitting on top of a car. A reporter with the Skagit Valley Herald, who is at the scene, says a sheriff's office rescue boat has arrived and rescue crews are searching for people in the water.

The newspaper quoted a driver who said he felt a vibration as he crossed the bridge and looked in his rear-view mirror to see that a section was no longer there. The collapse was sudden and without warning. It happened in a few seconds and the drivers of cars on the bridge had no chance to escape their vehicles. We await updates.