CCTV footage reveals moment Florida bridge collapses
WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Harrowing footage has emerged of the moment a pedestrian bridge collapsed in Florida, killing at least six people.
At least eight vehicles were trapped in the wreckage of the new bridge at Florida International University in Miami as the bridge crumbled onto the highway below on Thursday.
Six people have been confirmed dead while 10 people were transported to hospitals, officials told news conferences.
Distressing CCTV shows the split second moment the bridge collapses onto passing traffic before a large cloud of smoke rose from the ground.
Witnesses have described the collapse as feeling like an "earthquake".
"It felt as if there was an earthquake so me and my roommate jumped up and looked outside, and as soon as I looked outside I saw dust flying everywhere and I knew the bridge had collapsed," nearby resident Tiona Page told US broadcaster ABC.
Another witness said: "It was like an explosion, like a bomb."
The rescue missions have now turned to recovery with workers expecting to find more bodies as debris is removed, Miami-Dade police Director Juan Perez said on Friday.
Of the six people who died, five bodies still were under the bridge wreckage Friday morning, Miami-Dade police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.
According to a press release from the university, the structure's 950-ton main span was installed "in a few hours" using "accelerated bridge construction" methods to minimise "potential risks to workers, commuters, and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions."
The cause of the collapse is so far unknown. The bridge had been designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who visited the bridge site on Thursday, said on Twitter that an issue with the bridge was being addressed before it fell onto the highway.
"The cables that suspend the #Miami bridge had loosened & the engineering firm ordered that they be tightened," he wrote.
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"They were being tightened when it collapsed today."
The university's president, Mark Rosenberg, said FIU followed required processes during the bridge's construction and all contractors were certified by the state.
