At funeral for Minneapolis crash victims, heat sends 13 to hospital

Thirteen people were transported to hospitals for heat-related illnesses during the funeral for five women killed in a high-profile Minneapolis car crash.

The Burnsville Fire Department responded just after 3:30 p.m. Monday to "numerous" heat-related calls at the Garden of Eden Islamic Cemetery in Burnsville, according to the department's news release.

The cemetery was one of two sites for the funeral for five young women who were killed Friday night in a crash on a busy Minneapolis thoroughfare.

Paramedics found people experiencing heat-related symptoms. After determining more departments would need to assist, police departments, volunteers at the funeral and six EMS and fire agencies responded.

Thirteen patients were taken to seven hospitals in the region by the end of the night, according to the fire department. At least eight people were treated on the scene and not transported. Many more were evaluated on-site but not treated or transported. None of the patients had life-threatening heat-related symptoms.

Thousands attended the service, which started at Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center before moving to the cemetery for the burial. Hundreds of Somali Americans and fellow Muslims came out to mourn the five killed, and it is thought to be among the state's largest-ever public funerals.

The service required an outdoor venue to accommodate such a large turnout.

Killed in the crash were Sabiriin Ali, 17, of Bloomington; Sahra Gesaade, 20, of Brooklyn Center; Salma Abdikadir, 20, of St. Louis Park; Sagal Hersi, 19, of Minneapolis; and Siham Adam, 19, of Minneapolis.

Derrick Thompson, a 27-year-old Brooklyn Park man, was booked into the Hennepin County jail late Monday afternoon on suspicion of murder in connection to the crash.

Star Tribune staff writer Liz Sawyer contributed to this report.