Four crushed to death as bridge at Florida university collapses, flattening cars under 950 tonnes of concrete

A newly erected pedestrian bridge spanning several lanes of traffic collapsed at Florida International University on Thursday, killing at least four people, Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Dave Downey said.

Emergency personnel with sniffer dogs searched for signs of life amid the wreckage of concrete slabs and twisted metal after the 950-tonne bridge crushed vehicles on one of the busiest roads in South Florida.

At least eight vehicles were still trapped in the wreckage of the bridge and at least 10 people have been transported to hospitals, officials and doctors told news conferences.

Witnesses told local media the vehicles were stopped at a traffic light when the bridge collapsed on top of them at around 1.30pm.

“We’re working our way into the pile trying to create holes that we can actually physically see,” Miami-Dade Fire Department Division Chief Paul Estopian told reporters.

At one point, police requested television helicopters leave the area so rescuers could hear for any sounds of people crying for help from beneath the collapsed structure, CBS Miami television said.