St. Paul Taps Engineering Firm in Landslide Probe

ST. PAUL (AP) - The city of St. Paul says it's hired a civil engineering firm to examine the site of a gravel slide this week that killed two children.

The children were fourth-graders from a suburban elementary school who were exploring a popular fossil area when the gravel slide hit them Wednesday. Authorities say persistent rains saturated the soil and contributed to the slide.

The city announced Friday that Northern Technologies Inc. had been retained as part of its investigation. Parks and Recreation Director Mike Hahm said in a news release that the firm had experience evaluating collapses and natural disasters.

Its report is expected to be returned within several weeks.

The city has closed off the fossil area until further notice.