First responders at the Pittsburgh bridge collapse said they rappelled at least 100 feet and formed a human chain to pull people out of the wreckage
- Rescuers at the Pittsburgh bridge collapse formed a human chain to pull people out, a fire chief said.
- The chief told reporters that rescuers rappelled down at least 100 to 150 feet into the ravine.
Emergency responders at the site of the Pittsburgh bridge collapse rappelled down at least 100 feet and formed a human chain to rescue people from the Friday-morning disaster, a local fire chief said.
The snow-covered, 447-foot span in the Pennsylvania city collapsed at around 6:40 a.m., hours before President Joe Biden was set to speak in the area to discuss his recently passed infrastructure bill.
Several cars and a Port Authority bus were on the bridge when it came crashing down.
Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones told reporters at the scene that first responders "rappelled down" the collapse site at least 100 or 150 feet "using ropes to go down over the side."
EMS units "helped the firefighters that were here initially on scene" during the rescue operation, and they "did like a daisy chain with hands, just grabbing people and pulling them up," Jones explained. He added that "it wasn't vertical, but it was fairly steep."
"So it was a physical rescue," Jones said. "We have some highly skilled and highly trained professionals on the job here. Pittsburgh is lucky in that respect, so it was handled as best as it could be handled."
There were no fatalities as a result of the bridge collapse.
Ten people were injured with minor wounds, including three people who were taken to the hospital, officials said.
"The three that were transported were from the bus, I believe," Jones said. He added that the other people who were injured were first responders who slipped or fell.
It is not yet clear what caused the aging bridge on Forbes Avenue to collapse.
Additionally, the collapse triggered a "massive gas leak" that was now under control, Jones said.
"Several families were evacuated from their homes," Jones said. "They have been allowed back. We are told by the gas company that all their gas service has been restored."