At least 10 people were injured Friday when a bridge carrying Forbes Avenue over Fern Hollow Creek in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park collapsed, sending a Port Authority bus and several other vehicles into a ravine below, authorities said.

Three of those injured were taken to UPMC Presbyterian by ambulance, authorities said. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

A fourth adult was later treated and released at UPMC Shadyside. They were all in fair condition, according to a statement from the health system.

“We were fortunate,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said at the scene of the collapse, noting there were no fatalities.

Search and rescue crews and specially trained dogs were brought in as a precaution to search voids within the rubble to make sure no one was trapped underneath, said fire Chief Darryl Jones.

“Fortunately, no one was found,” he said late Friday afternoon.

The bridge is between South Braddock and South Dallas avenues and is a major artery into Squirrel Hill from Regent Square and Wilkinsburg. It was last inspected in September, Gainey said.

Built in 1970, the 447-foot-long span is rated in poor condition and is restricted to vehicles of up to 26 tons, according to PennDOT records. Port Authority did not immediately respond to questions about the weight of the bus.

The bridge is used by about 14,500 vehicles a day on average, PennDOT records show.

Four vehicles and a bus were on the bridge when it collapsed at 6:39 a.m., officials said. Everyone who had been trapped was rescued in the immediate aftermath, Jones said.

A large, articulated Port Authority bus was among the vehicles involved, with the vehicle seen trapped on a section of the collapsed bridge. The bus, Route 61B Braddock-Swissvale, was headed outbound on the bridge and was nearly at its east side when it began to collapse.

“As I was driving across, in my mind, I knew the bridge was collapsing,” the Port Authority bus driver Daryl Luciani told Tribune-Review news partner WPXI. ” I could just feel it. The bus was bouncing and shaking. It seemed long, but it was probably less than a minute. The bus finally came to a stop.”

Jones estimated that rescue crews had to rappel 100 to 150 feet down the ravine to rescue motorists.

“They also did like a daisy chain with just hands, grabbing people and pulling them up,” Jones said.

Crews stand on the edge of the Forbes Ave bridge collapse @TribLIVE pic.twitter.com/7s1G5UDgff Shane Dunlap (@shanedunlap) January 28, 2022

Luciani was grateful.

“They came down the hill with the flashlights, like I said it was still dark,” he told WPXI. “They brought a rope over to our door, they tied it to the railing. It was icy. And we were able to get the passengers off and myself.”

A ruptured gas line sent the smell of natural gas spewing into the community, a mix of homes and businesses. Crews shut off service to the line, Jones said.

The fire chief said authorities evacuated several families who live near the leak, but they were allowed to return by 9 a.m. He said gas service has been restored to all customers affected.

The Forbes Ave bridge over #frickpark in #pittsburgh collapsed at about 6am. Several vehicles and a bus on the bridge. No injuries reported yet. Strong smell of natural gas. Avoid the area #pittsburghbridgecollapse pic.twitter.com/ykkE4YjiiX

— Greg Barnhisel (@gbarnhisel) January 28, 2022

Police told drivers to avoid the area.

PennDOT closed the offramp from eastbound Interstate 376 to Edgewood (Exit 77).

Rescue operations ended at 8:30 a.m., officials said.

Howard Seltman, 67, who lives nearby on Briarcliff Road, called 911 after he heard the collapse. Dispatchers told him he was not the first caller.

“That bridge carries a lot of traffic every day,” he said from a trail below the bridge in Frick Park. “How does this happen?”

He said he heard a loud sound, followed by a rushing sound. The rushing sound got louder and Seltman immediately smelled gas.

“I never could have imagined that it would be that bridge,” he said.

Wendy Stroh, who lives on South Braddock, said she heard a noise that sounded like “a huge snow plow.”

“Just the thought of the bridge collapsing is a very scary prospect,” Stroh said. “I cross that bridge all the time.”

Wendy Stroh, who lives on S Braddock, said she woke up to a terrible noise that might have been the gas line rupturing. pic.twitter.com/ngYKbapDqj

— Megan Guza (@meganguzaTrib) January 28, 2022

Mary Withrow, of Biddle Street, also described hearing a “horrible noise.”

“It was so loud you just wanted it to stop,” she said.

She said she has lived in the area her entire life and recalled playing under the bridge as a child.

“I just burst into tears, thinking about all the people that travel the bridge every day — my friends, my family, myself,” she said.

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• Biden visit to Pittsburgh still on following bridge collapse • Photos: Bridge collapses in PIttsburgh's Frick Park • Pennsylvania scores C- for condition of roads, bridges, infrastructure

Greg Barnhisel, of Park Place, said he and his wife live about a quarter-mile from the bridge and walk in the park often. When they saw the news, they went to the scene to see it for themselves.

“We were terrified for the people on the bridge and in the bus and hope everyone is OK,” he said. “It’s very concerning and we are saddened by this and how it will affect the city and our beloved Frick Park.”

Barnhisel said he’s never had concerns about the bridge’s integrity before.

Today a bridge collapsed near Forbes and S Braddock. I am thankful there are no reported fatalities or critical injuries at this time. Thank you @PghPublicSafety for the quick response and thank you to the county, state, and federal governments for the cooperation and assistance. pic.twitter.com/tTld6t62rn

— Ed Gainey (@gainey_ed) January 28, 2022

The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh said St. Bede Catholic School in Point Breeze has closed because of the bridge collapse. The school had previously been on a two-hour delay because of snow and road conditions.

“Many teachers and parents of St. Bede use that bridge every day,” Principal Sister Daniela Bronka said in a statement. “We are so blessed to have been on a two-hour delay. We pray for all involved.”

City Controller Michael Lamb said the bridge collapse “is a reminder that investments in infrastructure are investments in public safety.”

Allegheny County is home to more structurally deficient bridges than any other county in the country, Lamb said.

“If we do not act, events like this will, unfortunately, continue to happen,” he said. “I’m thankful there was no loss of life this morning, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the public employees who are supporting recovery efforts at the scene.”

The collapse came on the same day President Joe Biden visited Pittsburgh to talk about infrastructure. Biden stopped at the site briefly Friday afternoon.

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