Sixteen children and one adult were rushed to hospital after falling 15-20 feet when a bridge inside Winnipeg’s Fort Gibraltar fell Wednesday..Three of the Grade 5 students aged 10 and 11 were initially reported to be in unstable condition. However, medical officials later confirmed only one child would have to be hospitalized overnight for orthopedic surgery. Most of the injuries involved broken bones and none were severe or life-threatening..The students from three St. John’s-Ravenscourt school classes were on a field trip at the reconstructed fort in Whittier Park in the St. Boniface neighbourhood..“Today at 9:55 a.m., we received a 911 call at Whittier Park for a school group that fell,” said Jason Shaw, a Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service assistant chief..Tameem Aljafari, 10, told reporters about 30 people were walking on a bridge inside the building when it collapsed..“Randomly, it just started cracking when we were on it, and then a lot of people just fell down,” he said outside Winnipeg's Children's Hospital..A teacher and two students were under the bridge at the time, he said..“I just didn't know what happened and then I couldn't breathe,” said Aljafari who suffered scratches..Area witnesses said at least two children were taken out on stretchers..In a statement to CTV News, St. John's-Ravenscourt School said parents and families of the students have been contacted..The staff and students who weren’t injured returned to school and are receiving care from counsellors.."My thoughts are with those injured and their families," tweeted Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gilligham.."Grateful for the swift response from Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Services.".Health Sciences Centre was put into code orange, Dr. Karen Gripp, medical director of the Children's Hospital emergency department, told reporters..Disaster events trigger code orange in anticipation of many patients. Staff ranging from pediatric and orthopedic surgeons to trauma staff were on standby.."It could have been so, so much worse," she said. “We were prepared for the worst.".An investigation into why the bridge fell is underway..Fort Gibraltar is the 1978 reconstruction of a fort early settlers used for the fur trade.
