At least 4 killed after pedestrian bridge at Florida college collapses
At least 4 killed after pedestrian bridge at Florida college collapses

A newly installed bridge touted as a feat of engineering collapsed on Florida International University’s campus Thursday, killing at least four people.

Aerial footage showed first responders tending to victims at the scene, searching for people in the rubble and loading others on stretchers into ambulances. Fire-fighters pulled out at least four deceased people from the rubble, Miami-Dade Fire Chief Dave Downey said at an evening press conference. Recovery efforts were underway as of late Thursday, according to Miami-Dade County police, ABC News reports.

The collapse occurred at about 1:30 p.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Division Chief Paul Estopinan said in a press conference Thursday afternoon. As of 5 p.m., a minimum of eight vehicles were trapped under the rubble, Estopinan said. Some workers were on the bridge when it collapsed, but officials did not detail whether any of them were among the dead.

Ten injured victims, labeled as level-one trauma patients, were transported to nearby Kendall Regional Medical Center, program director Dr. Mark McKenney said in a press conference.

One of the patients was in cardiac arrest and another was in a coma with “severe extremity injuries” when they arrived, McKenney said. Those patients were in critical condition. Eight other patients admitted to the hospital suffered from traumatic injuries such as bruises, abrasions and broken bones but were in stable condition, McKenney said.

The victims’ ages ranged from 20 to 50 years old, McKenney said. Additional patients are believed to have been admitted to other area hospitals as well.

More than 100 firefighters were on the scene working to find victims with the help of cranes and search dogs, and officials were working to stabilize the bridge. Their efforts are expected to be “long and arduous last well into the night, officials said.