Homicide detectives and the FBI are working alongside engineers at the scene of the Miami bridge collapse seeking clues about what went wrong, officials said early Friday.
At least six people were killed when the 950-ton pedestrian bridge near Florida International University’s campus came down at around 1:30 p.m ET on Thursday.
Authorities worked through the night picking through the mess of concrete and debris, going slowly due to the fragility of the mangled structure and to preserve evidence relevant to the investigation.
“Things that are part of the evidence are going to be placed on a separate side to be transported somewhere else as the investigation continues,” Det. Alvaro Zabaleta, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade Police Department, told reporters during a 5 a.m. ET briefing.
Zabaleta said the fire department had relinquished the lead on the investigation to the police. Also at the site he said were personnel from the FBI, NTSB, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The rescue effort has involved four cranes, heavy equipment, search teams and dogs.
“You have to understand that this is a very slow process,” he added. “We’ve been working throughout the entire night.”
Officials said earlier than eight vehicles had been trapped under the bridge, but Zabaleta said that “there’s the sad possibility that under the concrete there may be additional vehicles,” warning the death toll could rise.
At least 10 people were taken to the hospital with injuries, he said.
The bridge was scheduled to open early next year and designed to withstand hurricane-force winds.
It connected the FIU campus to the town of Sweetwater, where the university estimates some 4,000 students live.
The university had celebrated the unveiling of the walkway five days prior to the collapse.