A pedestrian walkway in Miami collapsed on Thursday, killing several people.
The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed the fatalities after multiple vehicles were crushed by the span near Florida International University’s campus.
According to Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue, there were people on the bridge and several cars underneath it.
Miami-Dade Fire Chief Dave Downey said they found eight vehicles trapped under the bridge after they got a call alerting the fire department of the incident. Eight victims were transported to local hospitals, but he said the authorities planned to continue search and rescue throughout the evening.
“We could only see eight [vehicles] from the exterior of the bridge,” Downey said, adding that he did not know how many total cars might be affected. “We are creating holes just so that we can physically see [if there are others].”
Urban search and rescue teams were on the scene with live search dogs, heavy equipment and four cranes, officials said.
The walkway weighed 950 tons and was 174 feet long, according to FIU.
The bridge was scheduled to open early next year and designed to withstand hurricane-force winds. Built across the seven-lane Tamiami Trail, the planned walkway connected the FIU campus to the town of Sweetwater where the university estimates some 4,000 students live.
