10 People Hospitalized At Kendall Regional, 2 Critical
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WEST MIAMI-DADE (CBSMiami) – Kendall Regional Medical Center is treating a total of ten patients in the wake of the deadly FIU pedestrian bridge collapse.
Dr. Mark McKenney telling reporters one patient arrived in cardiac arrest. His heart was restarted and is currently in critical condition in the ICU with chest injuries.
"A second patient arrived in a coma with severe extremity injuries and is currently in the operating room in critical condition," said Dr. McKenney.
Eight others were admitted to the hospital with traumatic injuries and they are in stable condition.
There has been no update on exactly who is in the hospital, whether they are construction workers or those who were in the crushed cars or trucks.
"I would say the ages range from 20 to 50," said Dr. McKenney.
As luck would have it, the collapse scene at FIU is just down the Florida Turnpike from Bird Road, the location of Kendall Regional Medical Center.
"One of the factors the Department of Health follows is the travel time for the rescue team," Dr. McKenney said. "They like to have it as short as possible for the critical patients. We happed to be close and it worked out."
Officials at the scene of a bridge collapse say they are drilling holes into the debris to look for survivors.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Division Chief Paul Estopinan said at a news conference that rescuers are searching the rubble for people who may still be trapped underneath but they did not know how many that might be.
Eight vehicles were trapped under the debris.
The pedestrian bridge was installed Saturday near Florida International University.
Estopinan said there had been reports of workers on the 174-foot span before it collapsed, and he confirmed that emergency workers did make some "surface rescues." He said two victims were cut out of the wreckage.
Gallery: Scene of the FIU Bridge Collapse
Deputy Mayor Maurice Kemp says search dogs are working the scene.
The section of bridge spanning a busy road had just been installed Saturday.
