David Mattingly: Rescue turns to recovery

CNN's David Mattingly

WEBBERS FALLS, Oklahoma (CNN) -- Divers were back in the water Monday in eastern Oklahoma, searching the Arkansas River for victims of Sunday's bridge collapse.

A 600-foot section of Interstate 40 collapsed after it was struck by a barge, tossing vehicles into the water and shutting down a part of the highway where an estimated 20,000 vehicles pass daily.

CNN Correspondent David Mattingly reported Monday morning from the scene of the collapse.

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 • Oklahoma governor: 'Everybody's worst nightmare'  • Bridge rescuer: 'It's pretty sickening'  • Bridge disasters in the United States    EXTRA INFORMATION Gallery: Bridge collapse

MATTINGLY: Recovery operations are under way in earnest. Divers have spotted and will attempt to raise at least seven vehicles out of the river. All these vehicles, we're told, [were] badly damaged by the fall they took [Sunday] when the I-40 bridge collapsed underneath them.

Investigators will attempt to ID the passengers of those vehicles by using the license plates on the backs of those cars. The strong current of the river has been a problem for the divers these past 24 hours. They are getting some help from the Army Corps of Engineers, which will be using the system of locks on the river to temporarily slow the flow.

All of the vehicles are clustered close together underwater at the edge of the section of bridge that broke off and fell into the river.

Above the water line, the focus is on the barge crew. They are being interviewed by investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board. Investigators are trying to piece together those critical final moments when the barge struck the bridge -- those moments when the captain of the barge was apparently unconscious. We've been told that he was unconscious only for a short period of time but obviously a very ill-timed and very tragic occurrence.

As the diving operation continues, we expect to have more fatalities to report -- as many as 12, some authorities are predicting. But at this point, those are just guesses. We hope to know for sure by the end of the day exactly how many cars and how many victims have been down there.

CNN: Have you heard any more on the pilot or barge operator? There were some initial reports he may have had a seizure. Where's the investigation going on this?

MATTINGLY: That's why they want to talk to the barge crew. They are trying to get some more details about the captain, his behavior, what other observations they may have had at the time that he was supposed to be in charge and piloting this vessel. So we hope to know sometime later [Monday]. The NTSB will have a discussion with everybody here and let us know what their preliminary findings are.