A pedestrian bridge in Washington, D.C. collapsed Wednesday sending five people to the hospital and blocking all directions of Interstate 295, according to tweets from the Washington D.C. Fire and EMS.
The bridge collapsed at Kenilworth Avenue prior to Polk Street NE onto I-295 blocking at around 11:52 a.m., Washington D.C.’s Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Chris Geldart said at a Wednesday press conference. Metal debris and mangled concrete spread across six lanes striking at least two vehicles and hospitalizing five people, the DC Fire and EMS reported.
The five hospitalized individuals are facing non-life threatening injuries, Geldart said at the press conference.
A hazmat unit arrived at the scene handling a diesel fuel leak from a truck caught under the bridge, DC Fire and EMS tweeted. At least one vehicle was struck by debris. (RELATED: BREAKING: Five-Day-Old Pedestrian Bridge Collapses On Florida Campus, Fatalities Reported)
Geldart told reporters the bridge is likely to be removed tomorrow and that the amount of time it will take to repair the bridge is currently unknown. There were no structural concerns about the bridge that was last inspected in February, according to the press release.
Democratic Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed her gratitude to the first responders at the press conference.
“I’m very grateful to all the first responders who had gotten there, gotten here very quickly. [I’m grateful for] the fire department, the Metropolitan police department, our DDOT who has mobilized its contractors who are working all over this city to respond to this scene as soon as possible so we can remove this bridge,” Bowser said.
Joining @MayorBowser @DC_OCA @dcfireems & @DCPoliceDept to brief the media on bridge collision earlier today. pic.twitter.com/9UvYDoqvGu
— Acting Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart (@SafeDC) June 23, 2021
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the cause of the collapse, according to CNN.