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| Florida university bridge collapses 'leaving people trapped' | Florida university bridge collapses 'leaving people trapped' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Authorities confirmed the collapse of a pedestrian bridge at Florida International University resulting in several fatalities, local media report. | |
| Images of the buckled structure at the college in Miami were shared across social media on Thursday afternoon. | Images of the buckled structure at the college in Miami were shared across social media on Thursday afternoon. |
| The 950-ton span only went up on Saturday, CBS Miami reports. | The 950-ton span only went up on Saturday, CBS Miami reports. |
| The Miami Herald reported that an unknown number of people were trapped underneath the bridge, which was built over a motorway. | The Miami Herald reported that an unknown number of people were trapped underneath the bridge, which was built over a motorway. |
| The Florida Highway Patrol said several people were killed and five to six vehicles were crushed, local media report. | |
| Aerial footage shows first responders trying to get under the bridge to trapped cars. | |
| The university issued a statement saying rescue efforts were still underway. | |
| Miami-Dade County Emergency Management confirmed the collapse and urged locals to avoid the area. | |
| It is unclear how many people have been injured on or beneath the bridge, but images from a local reporter show cars trapped beneath the fallen structure. | |
| The Florida governor, Rick Scott, responded to the accident on Twitter: "I have spoken with Miami-Dade County Police Chief Juan Perez about the pedestrian bridge collapse at FIU. I will be in constant communication with law enforcement throughout the day." | |
| A witness of the collapse told ABC News that the screams coming from the cars were "terrifying". | |
| "As soon as I looked outside, I saw dust flying everywhere," Tiona Page said. "I knew the bridge had collapsed." | |
| The Miami Herald said the bridge, which connected the college to a student housing area, had long been requested by people at the university so they could avoid the traffic below. | |
| In August 2017, a student was hit and killed by cars while crossing the busy street. | |
| The university had touted the new swinging bridge on Twitter just days ago. | |
| The 174ft (53m) cable-supported footbridge was to be publicly opened in 2019, local media say. | |
| Costing $14.2m (£12.5m), it was funded by the US Department of Transportation. |