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CNN Live Sunday
Barge Hits Bridge Over Arkansas River
Aired May 26, 2002 - 16:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Back to our top story now, the bridge tragedy along Interstate 40 in eastern Oklahoma. Several motorists traveling on a highway bridge over the Arkansas River went plummeting into the water today. It happened when the bridge supports were hit by a barge. Reporter Jeff Lea of affiliate KTUL has been following the story, and he joins us with this live report. Hi there, Jeff.
JEFF LEA, KTUL CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredricka. In the last eight hours -- it's been eight hours since this disaster happened, and Governor Keating at this moment, the governor of Oklahoma, is touring the disaster. We're told at this very minute that there have been only four survivors pulled from the river, and there is an undetermined amount of victims still trapped underneath. It happened shortly after 8:00 this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LEA (voice-over): A holiday on the river turned into a mass tragedy when a barge hit the I-40 bridge over Arkansas river. A 400- to 500-foot second slammed into the water.
RONNIE COLE, WITNESS: We heard a loud bang. We didn't know what was going on, so we looked out and we thought there was a truck rolled over up here. But then we heard screeching and seen the traffic stopping on the interstate.
LEA: Folks up river watching a fishing tournament heard the same explosion.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it was the bridge, look, and we could see all the dust and all that coming from it. And then I saw two cars go off with a big splash and all that. It was unbelievable.
LEA: Fishermen and rescue crews from miles around hit the water trying to pull out survivors. The latest report saying 11 vehicles, several of them semitrucks, were submerged, with unknown number of victims trapped below the water.
One trucker was pulled out and taken to a local hospital by John Morgan, who recounted what the trucker said was his last second.
JOHN MORGAN, WITNESS: He was following the truck, and he said it just disappeared in front of him, and that he could not get stopped and that he didn't remember -- he doesn't know how he got out of his truck.
LEA: Search and rescue and salvage work will continue through the night, while thousands of vehicles traveling I-40 are being redirected around the accident scene.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEA: And the latest update here in the last few minutes -- that rescue and recovery efforts are being stalled because of the instability of that bridge. In fact, it's still resting on that barge, and until that is secure, some of the rescue efforts will be stalled for some time. It will continue through the night. We're reporting live in eastern Oklahoma. Now back to you in Atlanta.
WHITFIELD: All right, Jeff Lea, thank you very much. The leader of a nearby town ha been keeping a close watch on the search and now recovery effort from the start. Jewell Horne is the mayor of Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, and she joins us now over the phone. Thanks for joining us.
JEWEL HORNE, MAYOR: You're welcome.
WHITFIELD: Well, talk to me about the barge traffic that the Arkansas river usually sees there.
Well, sometimes we have quite a bit of traffic on the Arkansas river. My office is right on the banks of the river, and my windows -- I'm looking out my window at the river, at the ramp where the boats are going in and out. We were also having a fishing tournament here this morning, with about 300 fishermen here, which complicates matters a little bit right now too. But they are still in the process of trying to rescue, and the city hall or city hall will be open until everything is finalized. We have Red Cross emergency personnel, Highway Patrol, Coast Guard, my city officials, county officials, working together in this.
WHITFIELD: Well, mayor, you said the fishing tournament complicates matters...
HORNE: Because we have...
WHITFIELD: But at the same time, did that help matters in terms of rescue efforts?
HORNE: It did help, yes. At first. And right now we're trying to -- they're trying to get those folks out. It's not that complicated, but it is kind of a causing a little congestion here at the present time.
WHITFIELD: A potential problem for the barge earlier, could it have been that there was such treacherous weather? You had some pretty serious downfalls taking place -- could that have been a problem in swift currents on the river?
HORNE: Possibly. We -- at this time, we have no information on anything, and I just really don't know. WHITFIELD: Now, conversations have taken place between emergency official and the barge crew. What do you know of what has transpired from those conversations?
HORNE: Right at this time I have no information that I can give out.
WHITFIELD: All right. As we heard the reporter a little bit ago, the currents are certainly and the volatility of the structure are causing problems for the divers.
HORNE: Right.
WHITFIELD: What is the forecast as to when those divers might be able to get in the water?
HORNE: Well, really at this time we're not -- I'm not sure. The weather has improved, the sun is shining now, and hopefully it won't be long until they will be able to get in.
WHITFIELD: And quickly, what are you doing to help the miles and miles of travelers in that traffic back-up who are unable to go anywhere on I-40?
HORNE: Well, what we do is they are being re-routed around the town of Webbers Falls. We have a two-lane highway that goes through the town of Webber here, and it bypasses the I-40 bridge there, and that's the way they are being routed now. The traffic is still flowing.
WHITFIELD: All right. There are four survivors, four of whom have been hospitalized. What do you know about their conditions?
HORNE: I have no information on that at this time.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you.
HORNE: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: Thank you, Mayor Jewell Horne, appreciate it.
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