4 Found Dead at Site of Pedestrian Bridge Collapse, Authorities Say

A new report has come in regarding the collapsed pedestrian bridge at Florida International University in Miami, Florida.

According to the Associated Press, Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Dave Downey four people died from the bridge's collapse on Thursday and another nine have been taken to the hospital.

BREAKING: Fire chief says 4 dead found at site of collapsed Florida pedestrian bridge, 9 taken to hospitals.

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 16, 2018

According to the Miami Herald, a porting of the bridge collapsed on Thursday and trapped multiple cars and pedestrians underneath.

The company that built the bridge, FIGG Engineering, released a statement offering their condolences.

"We are stunned by today's tragic collapse of a pedestrian bridge that was under construction over Southwest Eighth Street in Miami. Our deepest sympathies are with all those affected by this accident. We will fully cooperate with every appropriate authority in reviewing what happened and why. In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before. Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved," FIGG Engineering said in a statement.

The 950-ton bridge, touted as the "first of its kind," was used via Accelerated Bridge construction technology, according to a statement from FIU officials.

The process helps speed up the building process and saves the Florida Department of Transportation money. According to the Federal High Administration, the process can have workers finished with a bridge within 72 hours of beginning a project.

A press release on FIU's website indicated that the bridge connected the university campus to the Sweetwater neighborhood, were more than 4,000 students live.

The bridge cost $14.2 million to make and was paid for by a $19.4 million grant by the US Department of Transportation. It was still reportedly under construction.

"Our family's thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy," MCM, one of the companies that helped build the bridge, said in a statement. "The new University City Bridge, which was under construction, experienced a catastrophic collapse causing injuries and loss of life."

MCM also claimed it would "conduct a full investigation to determine exactly what went wrong and will cooperate with investigators on scene in every way."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott also released a statement regarding the incident.

"The most important thing we can do right now is pray for the individuals who ended up in the hospital, for their full recovery, and pray for the family members who lost loved ones, " Scott said.