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Dramatic footage shows aftermath of Miami bridge collapse that left six dead

Footage has emerged of the aftermath of the collapse of a pedestrian bridge onto a busy road in Miami, leaving six people dead.

Vehicles were crushed under huge slabs of concrete and steel after the structure collapsed on Thursday.

Initially four people were thought dead and at least nine others injured, but on Friday Miami-Dade Police said the death toll was up to six people.

Search and rescue crews worked are hunting for any remaining survivors using dogs, search cameras and sensitive listening devices but authorities have admitted the chances of finding anyone alive are dwindling.

<em>Search – emergency services are searching for remaining survivors but have admitted the likelihood of finding anyone is low (Pictures: PA)</em>
Search – emergency services are searching for remaining survivors but have admitted the likelihood of finding anyone is low (Pictures: PA)

“Everybody is working hard to make sure we rescue anyone who can be rescued,” said Florida governor Rick Scott.

But Miami-Dade police director Juan Perez said hopes were dwindling as the hours passed and they anticipated a “negative outcome at the end of the day”.

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Miami-Dade County fire chief Dave Downey said: “We have to remove some of this piece by piece. It’s very unstable.”

Aerial footage at the site showed a trained dog running on top of fallen concrete and sniffing in the crevices for any victims.

<em>Safe – the bridge was aimed to be a safe way for students to cross the busy seven-lane road</em>
Safe – the bridge was aimed to be a safe way for students to cross the busy seven-lane road

The $14.2m bridge spanned a busy seven-lane road that divided a Florida International University campus from the city of Sweetwater and was aimed to provide a safe way for students to cross the road.

It was installed on Saturday after the main part of the 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the road.

According to the university the “accelerated bridge construction” method was supposed to reduce risks to workers and pedestrians and minimise traffic disruption.

US Senator Marco Rubio tweeted that the cables that suspended the bridge had loosened and were being tightened when it collapsed.

After attending a briefing Mr Rubio said the public and the families of the dead and injured deserve to know “what went wrong”.

Mr Scott added that if anyone had done anything wrong, “we will hold them accountable”.

A team of specialists from the National Transportation Safety Board was set to start an investigation on Friday.

<em>Accountable – authorities have said if anyone did anything wrong, they would be held accountable</em>
Accountable – authorities have said if anyone did anything wrong, they would be held accountable

The project was a collaboration between Miami-based contractor MCM Construction and Figg Bridge Design, based in Tallahassee, which was responsible for the famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay.

Figg issued a statement on Thursday saying the company was “stunned” by the collapse and promising to cooperate with investigations.

“In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before,” it said. “Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved.”

<em>Innovative – the bridge was dubbed an “innovative installation” which one expert said brought its own risks</em>
Innovative – the bridge was dubbed an “innovative installation” which one expert said brought its own risks

MCM Construction Management posted a message to the company’s Facebook page promising “a full investigation to determine exactly what went wrong”.

Robert Bea, professor of engineering and construction management at the University of California, Berkeley, said it was too early to know exactly what happened, but the decision to use what the bridge builders called an “innovative installation” was risky, especially because the bridge spanned a heavily-travelled thoroughfare.

“Innovations take a design firm into an area where they don’t have applicable experience, and then we have another unexpected failure on our hands,” he said.