Updated at 5:35 p.m. ET
A Florida International University pedestrian bridge, still under construction, collapsed Thursday afternoon on a major roadway in the Miami area, trapping people underneath and injuring several victims, according to officials who didn't confirm reports of deaths.
The company building the bridge has posted a statement expressing distress over the collapse and referring to a loss of life.
In a statement Thursday FIU said, "We are shocked and saddened about the tragic events unfolding at the FIU-Sweetwater pedestrian bridge. At this time we are still involved in rescue efforts and gathering information.
"We have multiple victims; the number hasn't been determined yet," Miami Dade County Deputy Mayor Maurice Kemp said at a late afternoon press conference.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Division Chief Paul Estopinan said eight vehicles were trapped under the bridge and eight victims were transported to the hospital.
Video footage showed the bridge collapsed onto a multilane highway, crushing vehicles underneath, and several people being loaded into ambulances.
More than 100 search-and-rescue workers were using heavy equipment, search dogs and cranes, Estopinan said.
Officials asked the public to avoid the area "indefinitely" and directed people worried about loved ones to get in touch with the family reunification center on FIU's campus.
It happened around 1:30 p.m.
Witnesses tell The Miami Herald the structure fell without warning as a traffic light went red and concrete fell on stopped vehicles. Other motorists rushed out of their cars to help.
The main span of the bridge was installed on Saturday. The bridge was not expected to open to foot traffic until early next year, reports The Associated Press.
It was intended to boost student safety, spanning a portion of U.S. Highway 41 known as the Tamiami Trail, to help people cross from campus to the city of Sweetwater, where the university said thousands of students live. The university is currently on spring break.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it would send a "go team" to investigate the incident.
In a Tuesday news release, the university touted the rapid installation of the "first-of-its-kind pedestrian bridge," which the AP explains allowed it to be "prefabricated then swung into place before its central support tower was built."
"The 174-foot, 950-ton section of the bridge was built adjacent to Southwest Eight Street using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods, which are being advanced at FIU's Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC). This method of construction reduces potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions. The main span of the FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity Bridge was installed in a few hours with limited disruption to traffic over this weekend."
A now-deleted tweet posted by FIU on Tuesday displayed a photo of the bridge.
In Tuesday's release, the university added, "The FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity Bridge is the largest pedestrian bridge moved via Self-Propelled Modular Transportation in U.S. history. It is also the first in the world to be constructed entirely of self-cleaning concrete. When exposed to sunlight, the titanium dioxide in the concrete captures pollutants and turns it bright white, reducing maintenance costs."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said President Trump is aware of the bridge collapse and will continue to monitor the situation.
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