Oklahoma governor: 'Everybody's worst nightmare'

Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating

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(CNN) -- Recovery crews in eastern Oklahoma have a grim task on this Memorial Day as they resume the search for victims of Sunday's bridge collapse.

A 600-foot section of Interstate 40 fell into the Arkansas River after it was struck by a barge. Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating spoke Monday morning with CNN's Bill Hemmer about recovery efforts.

HEMMER: Overnight [Sunday], in the darkness there, and with that current still running pretty strong, was there much progress made?

KEATING: No, unfortunately there wasn't because the water was so murky, was rushing so swiftly that they concluded when the sun set it was time to postpone recovery operations until [Monday] morning. They informed me that as soon as the sun is up, they're going to be up there.

There is a cluster of cars, anywhere from nine to 15 cars and trucks that are still in the water. Obviously, the death toll could go considerably higher. A real sad day for us on Memorial Day.

EMERGENCY INFO Oklahoma authorities have set up a family assistance center in Webbers Falls. The number is 918-464-2920.    TRAVEL INFORMATION The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is asking highway travelers to avoid travel in eastern Oklahoma. Those who must travel in the region are asked to use State Highway 9 or U.S. 64.    CNN NewsPass VIDEO A barge struck a bridge Sunday in eastern Oklahoma, collapsing a 600-foot section and plunging vehicles into the Arkansas River. (May 26) Play video   MORE STORIES • Search efforts to resume in bridge collapse  • Bridge rescuer: 'It's pretty sickening'  • Bridge disasters in the United States    EXTRA INFORMATION Gallery: Bridge collapse

HEMMER: Governor, does it still appear that the captain of that tug suffered some sort of seizure and perhaps had a blackout or lost consciousness when the tug veered into that bridge?

KEATING: I talked to one of the fire chiefs [Sunday] who talked to a member of the crew shortly after the incident, and he indicated that the captain had suffered some kind of seizure. He had fallen from the wheel and was on the floor, just obviously after the tug and the two barges had struck the bridge.

So there was no evidence, at least thus far, of any suggestion of alcoholism or drug use or anything. It was just -- apparently, this individual had a real bad bout with bad health.

With all that's being investigated now by the National Transportation Safety Board, our great concern, our challenge now is to have the Oklahoma Highway Patrol do everything they can to make sure we recover those that are still missing.

HEMMER: I mentioned the river is not deep, about 10 or 11 feet deep in that particular area. The currents are pretty strong. What's the challenge for divers right now? Did they have much success [Sunday] in working into the evening hours?

KEATING: The report that I received from those who were there when I was there was that they barely could see their hand in front of their face. Obviously, the current was moving very swiftly. It's murky; there had been a lot of water there.

But there were literally piles of cars. And they couldn't tell, of course, how many victims there might be in them. But unfortunately, there will be a real sad discovery, I'm sure, as the day progresses. But the weather appears to be better, and hopefully we'll get to the bottom of it. Just a very bad accident. Everybody's worst nightmare on Memorial Day or any holiday.

HEMMER: One of the images that is quite clear is that part of that bridge still rests on top of the barge. At what point will that barge be able to be moved?

KEATING: Late [Sunday] there were engineers there from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation trying to make decisions as to what should be removed, what should remain. Obviously, that rushing water can do real havoc to any of your best plans. And those decisions and those analyses are going to take place [Monday] morning.

But it's very dangerous for those divers to get into the water and, of course, suffer the risk of having more of that bridge collapse. As you noted, about 500 feet -- that's a great big chunk of that bridge is in the water as we speak. And it's going to be a real mess to get through it, especially in those conditions to try to find out how many other people were killed.

HEMMER: I-40 is a major thoroughfare for that part of the country. How are you rerouting traffic, and have you been successful at it?

KEATING: The rerouting has reasonably successful. But, of course, that's about 20,000 cars a day that go across that river at that spot. So the challenge for us is to get it repaired as quickly as possible.

Down in Texas, when they had a similar problem when the bridge collapsed at South Padre Island [on September 15, 2001], they were able to get it up and finished within 76 days. So, anywhere between two and six months, it's going to take us to clean it up. But obviously we're going to try to do the best we can because that is, as you note, a major east-west thoroughfare across the middle of the country.