I have been watching the news about this for the last hour or so...hopefully every one of our Montreal friends and family is safe and sound.
The most disturbing piece of news was just on CBC...a witness reported chunks of the overpass falling off AN HOUR AND A HALF before it collapsed. Why was this highway not closed earlier, before people potentially lost their lives????
An overpass in Laval, Que., collapsed on Saturday, injuring five people and possibly trapping at least two others under a massive slab of concrete, police said.
Three vehicles and a motorcycle fell from Boulevard de la Concorde after three lanes of the overpass gave way onto Highway 19 after around noon ET.
Emergency crews were working to free at least three vehicles. (CBC)
Three of the five taken to hospital were listed in critical condition with head, chest and abdominal injuries, said Andre Champagne, a spokesman for the Urgences-Santé paramedics service.
Emergency crews have not been able to get underneath the rubble to reach the people believed to be trapped because they're are worried more of the road will collapse.
"We're very anxious to know how many people are trapped under and what condition they're in," Champagne said.
Jean-Claude Beaudry, a City of Laval spokesman, told the CBC there are probably one or two dead people under the overpass.
The rear half of a van could be seen sticking out from the rubble, along with part of a car. Another car was lying on its side, stuck between chunks of concrete.
Eight to 10 fire trucks were at the scene, along with two huge cranes, which will be used to remove some of the concrete.
The routes involved include a major highway connecting Laval to the island of Montreal.
Police are advising motorists to stay clear of the area. Highway 19 and Boulevard de la Concorde have both been closed to traffic.
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