Aug 10, 2007 7:53 pm US/Eastern
Two More Victims Identified From Bridge Collapse
Death Toll Rises To 8 After 2 Bodies Recovered Thursday
MINNEAPOLIS (CBS) ―
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The Medical Examiner's office says Sadiya Sahal was found today. Hanah was found yesterday.
CBS
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A third body was pulled from the wreckage of the Minneapolis bridge collapse on Aug. 10, 2007.
Hennepin County Sheriff's Office
Divers recovered another body Friday from the wreckage of an interstate bridge, bringing to at least eight the known death toll from last week's collapse.
The latest body was found about noon, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office announced. No other details were released.
Later Friday, family members confirmed that 22-year-old Sadiya Sahal and her 22-month-old daughter Sahal were identified and died from blunt force injuries.
The pace of recovery has quickened since Navy divers joined an effort led for most of the first week by local dive teams. At least two bodies, and possibly a third, were recovered Thursday.
Five people were known dead soon after the Aug. 1 collapse, but eight more were listed as missing and presumed dead. The only victim recovered this week, 47-year-old Peter Hausmann of Rosemount, was on that list.
Navy divers went back into the water around sunrise Friday, said Senior Chief Dave Nagle, spokesman for the dive team. "Since we've been here for a few days, they've got a good feel for the area -- some of the places where it is pretty challenging to move around," he said.
On Thursday, the body of Hausmann was the first to be recovered. Divers later found more remains initially thought to have belonged to one person, but authorities later said they may have belonged to two others. Authorities were still working Friday to identify them.
"The additional remains appear to probably represent more than one individual," Medical Examiner Andrew Baker said Thursday night.
Baker said it might become more difficult to positively identify remains now that they've been in the water more than a week. He said dental records and DNA evidence would be used if needed.
The list of missing included a pregnant nursing student and her 2-year-old daughter, and another woman and her adult son, who has Down syndrome.
Nine survivors remained hospitalized Friday. The one remaining victim who had been in critical condition at Hennepin County Medical Center was upgraded to serious condition Friday morning, a hospital spokeswoman said. Eight survivors are still hospitalized at HCMC -- five in serious condition and three in satisfactory condition -- while one remained at the University of Minnesota Medical Center in good condition.
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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