Death toll from Florida bridge collapse rises to six

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A newly installed pedestrian bridge collapsed at Florida International University in Miami on Thursday, killing six people.

Nine people were also injured in the collapse. They were taken to local hospitals and the rescue work is still ongoing, Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Dave Downey said.

The 950-tonne, 53-meter-long bridge collapsed on a busy highway in Miami at around 1:30 p.m. local time (1730 GMT), crushing at least eight vehicles.

Aerial view shows a pedestrian bridge collapsed at Florida International University in Miami, Florida, US on March 15, 2018. /Reuters Photo

Emergency personnel with sniffer dogs searched for signs of life amid the wreckage of concrete slabs and twisted metal after the accident.

"We're working our way into the pile, trying to create holes that we can actually physically see," Miami-Dade Fire Department Division Chief Paul Estopian told reporters.

At one point, police requested television helicopters to leave the area so that rescuers could listen for the sounds of people crying for help from beneath the collapsed structure, CBS Miami television said.

Several vehicles are trapped under the collapsed structure. /Reuters Photo

The bridge, which was erected in six hours over the eight-lane highway on Saturday, connected the university and a student housing area, according to a report posted on the university's website.

"If anybody has done anything wrong, we will hold them accountable," said Florida Governor Rick Scott, at a Thursday night press conference, after his office issued a statement saying a company contracted to inspect the bridge was not pre-qualified by the state.

(With input from Reuters)

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