Multiple people injured, unknown number killed in pedestrian bridge collapse at university in Miami

March 15, 2018

The bridge was just installed on the FIU campus within the last week

Multiple people* have reportedly died and several have been injured as a result of a pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. 

Multiple agencies have responded to the scene. Lt. Alejandro Camacho, the Florida Highway Patrol spokesman, told CNN that multiple vehicles were crushed underneath the bridge. According to the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, there were multiple injuries at the scene of the collapse as well.

The bridge was just installed Saturday and was scheduled to open early next year. According to a fact sheet about the bridge on FIU's website, it cost $14.2 million to build and was funded as part of a $19.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

According to reports from NBC News, the walkway weighed 950 tons and was 174 ft long. It was built and designed with the expectation that it could withstand hurricane-force winds.

*Update: There are currently conflicting reports about how many fatalities have occurred as a result of the collapse, with some sources reporting at least one death while others have reported several.

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Sources: NBC News / CNN

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