March 15 (UPI) — A pedestrian bridge at Florida International University in Miami collapsed Thursday, trapping people and vehicles underneath it, the school announced.
Workers installed the 950-ton bridge Saturday morning; it was being built to give students and other pedestrians access between FIU and the city of Sweetwater.
“The pedestrian bridge across Southwest Eighth Street has collapsed, please avoid the area,” the school tweeted shortly before 2:30 p.m.
Florida Highway Patrol told local media outlets there were multiple fatalities.
Images of the collapsed bridge show at least two vehicles partially crushed under the weight of the concrete.
Emergency officials were on the scene attempt to reach an unknown number of people trapped under the wreckage. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said at least one person was transported to Kendall Regional Hospital and paramedics treated at least five people. Sources at the hospital told The Miami Heraldthat eight people were being treated there.
The 174-foot-long and 30-foot-wide bridge was expected to open to pedestrians in early 2019. It was part of a $19.4 million project grant. The structure was elevated in one piece to its location this weekend, part of a new building method — accelerated bridge construction — that allows a bridge to be built with relatively little disruption to traffic.
The companies building the bridge, MCM Construction and FIGG Engineering, offered thoughts and prayers after the collapse.
“The new UniversityCity Bridge, which was under construction, experienced a catastrophic collapse causing injuries and loss of life,” MCM said in a statement. “MCM is a family business and we are all devastated and doing everything we can to assist. We will conduct a full investigation to determine exactly what went wrong and will cooperate with investigators on scene in every way.”
“We will fully cooperate with every appropriate authority in reviewing what happened and why. In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before,” FIGG said in an emailed statement. “Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved.”
This is a developing story.
