One Year Later, Victims Of FIU Bridge Collapse Remembered

MIAMI, FL -- Students and faculty of Florida International University marked the one-year anniversary of the bridge collapse that killed six people, including a bridge worker, with a moment of silence Friday. Eight others were injured in the tragedy.

The victims were honored at a ceremony that began at 1:30 p.m. at the Betty Chapman Plaza on FIU's main campus.

Deacon Ralph Gazitua led the FIU community in a moment of silence at 1:47 p.m. The FIU flag was flown at half-staff and the GC bells rang six times, once for each of the victims.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Commissioner Esteban L. Bovo, Jr attended the event as did FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg.

Photographs released by the National Transportation Safety Board in August showed large cracks that had been documented in the pedestrian bridge days before the massive structure came crashing down.

The 174-foot-long main span killed six people, including a bridge worker when it collapsed on March 15, 2018.

The NTSB said that the series of photographs were taken after the main 950-ton main span of the bridge was lifted from its temporary supports, rotated 90 degrees across an eight-lane road and lowered into its permanent position in a matter of hours over busy SW 8th Street.