Pedestrian bridge collapses, several dead at Florida International University
At least four dead, nine injured as crews continue to search
MIAMI — A pedestrian bridge under construction at Florida International University collapsed Thursday, killing at least four people, just days after crews had dropped an elevated 950-ton span in place on a signature project that was intended to give students a safe route across the busy roadway.
The massive span — in a sudden, catastrophic and yetto-determined failure — crashed down across eight lanes of heavily traveled Tamiami Trail, flattening eight cars. Miami-Dade Fire Chief Dave Downey confirmed late Thursday that at least four people had been killed. Rescue crews continued to work into the night to reach vehicles.
Nine people had been pulled from the rubble by evening and rushed to Kendall Regional Medical Center’s trauma unit, including two who required immediate surgery. The others sustained injuries ranging from scrapes and bruises to broken bones, which were not considered life threatening. On campus, some families waited for word on missing loved ones.
Even before the dust from the disaster settled, motorists scrambled from their cars to help. At least one woman, Katrina Collazo, was pulled from her half-crushed car, miraculously unscathed.
“Thank God ... my daughter is alive,” said her mother, Ada Collazo, in Spanish, after rushing to the scene, fearful that another family member also might have been riding in the back. “I thought my granddaughter was in the car, but she wasn’t. She’s in school.”
Ada Collazo said her daughter, who had been on campus for a nursing meeting, was stopped at a red light when she said she heard what sounded like small rocks falling on her car. As she turned around, the span mashed everything behind the driver seat. The car next to her was not as lucky. That vehicle was flattened like an aluminum can.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse of a $14.2 million structure FIU had touted as an innovative “instant” bridge because of construction techniques intended to speed up the work and minimize disruption to commuter traffic. The bridge’s main 174foot span, assembled on the side of the road, was raised into place across Tamiami Trail on Saturday in less than six hours. But the project was far from complete and not expected to open to student foot traffic until 2019.
Several witnesses reported that two workers were on the bridge when it collapsed shortly before 2 p.m. EDT. Early in the day, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the bridge had undergone a “stress test” but it was unclear what, if any, role that might have played in the failure. FIU President Mark Rosenberg confirmed there was testing on the bridge sometime before the collapse.
Speaking at FIU on Thursday night, Gov. Rick Scott and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio both promised swift investigations.
“We will hold anybody accountable if anybody has done anything wrong,” Scott said.
Rubio also vowed an “exhaustive” review with scrutiny of “science and engineering” that went into the project. “The families and the survivors deserve to know what went wrong,” he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it was dispatching a team of 15 to examine the collapse.
Authorities stressed that it could take days or more to determine what went wrong. But one agency, the Florida Department of Transportation, quickly distanced itself, issuing a fact sheet saying it had a limited role in the project and emphasizing FIU’s responsibility for testing and safely completing the bridge.
Designed as a cable-supported bridge, the project was a collaboration between MCM Construction, a prominent Miamibased contractor, and Figg Bridge Design, based in Tallahassee. Figg is responsible for the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay.
Figg issued a statement Thursday saying the company was “stunned” by the collapse and promising to cooperate with every authority investigating the collapse.
“In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before,” the company’s statement said. “Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved.”