Bridge collapse kills 1 construction worker, injures 4 others in North Carolina

Updated Nov 17, 2014
A 140-foot section of the bridge’s center fell as much as 40 feet. Credit: Still from WRAL TV coverage.A 140-foot section of the bridge’s center fell as much as 40 feet. Credit: Still from WRAL TV coverage.

A pedestrian bridge being built as part of a community college campus expansion in Raleigh, North Carolina, collapsed Thursday morning, killing one worker and seriously injuring four others.

According to a report from Raleigh’s News and Observer, workers were pouring concrete for the bridge at the Wake Technical Community College campus when it collapsed around 10:15 a.m. Thursday, falling as much as 40 feet.

The four workers who survived sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the trauma center at a nearby hospital. The workers’ identities have not been announced out of respect for their families. They worked for Central Concrete of North Carolina who was sub-contracting the concrete work for Skanska Construction.

According to WRAL TV, there were other workers atop the bridge when it collapsed but they were able to escape without injury.

The bridge was being built above a ravine and a 140-foot section at the center of the structure fell to the ground below, according to the report. It is part of a $47.5 million expansion and will connect the school’s new library with a parking deck. Work was expected to be completed by the fall of 2015.

The North Carolina Department of Labor is investigating the incident and does not yet know what caused the collapse.