Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Blogging

The Web, and especially the user-generated opportunities now available in communities and Web 2.0 applications, are revolutionising the way we get our news.

Yesterday and today was a good example. One’s heart goes out to the relatives of those killed and injured in the dramatic bridge collapse in Minneapolis.

Bloggers, photo and video sharers as well as online news networks make it possible to get up-to-date and close details and pictures from the scene:

Youtube has a video from a security camera (reported on local television networks) of the actual collapse

Noah Kunin lives very close to the bridge and saw it collapse.

Uncle Mikey” was on a boat approaching the bridge when it collapsed

Erica M blogged at Metroblogging Minneapolis

Twin City Sidewalks blog – getting some perspective

Summarising blogging and news coverage was Michelle Malkin, Fox columnist

A bit mroe conventional was a news story from the Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St Paul) and the response from the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Communities

The local TV station: Kare

Many bloggers have also posted their photos, e.g., on Flickr including s4xton

Consolidated photo

And on ABC News photos from Kelly Kahle from middle of the river after the bridge dropped, including pictures of her car.

Anyone who is a member of a large international mailing list or forum may well have seen discussion of the tragedy, perhaps even involving those in the area. When I was part of a large artistic world-wide community every tragedy seemed to affect an online friend, from 9/11 to the Bali bombings to fires in Australia. Especially because of the intimacy of reading someone’s blog, sometimes it seems a very small world.