Bridge collapses in Germany, fortunately no casualties

The incident caused no casualties, but authorities warned that other parts of the bridge could also collapse.

The Carola Bridge (Carolabruecke) partially collapsed over the Elbe River in the center of Dresden, Saxony, eastern Germany, on September 11, 2024. Photo: AFP/Odd Andersen

About 100 metres of the Carola Bridge, which connects Dresden's historic old town with other parts of the city, fell into the Elbe River at around 3am, according to the Dresden fire service.

The area around the bridge has been cordoned off, causing major disruption to traffic in the city. Officials warn that other parts of the bridge could still collapse.

No one was on or under the bridge at the time of the incident. The last car crossed the bridge at around 2:50 a.m., just minutes before the collapse, narrowly avoiding disaster.

"I'm very, very happy that as far as we know, no one was injured," fire department spokesman Klahre said at a news conference.

Police spokesman Thomas Geithner said officers just 50 metres away "described hearing a loud, heavy noise, the ground shaking".

Rescue services have been deployed to the scene to assess the damage and ensure the safety of the bridge.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation. The concrete structure of the bridge may have been corroded by past chlorine exposure, according to Holger Kalbe, head of Dresden's bridge and civil engineering department. However, he said this was only an initial "assumption" and that experts would have a more definitive conclusion in the coming days.

The collapsed section of the bridge includes tram, pedestrian and bicycle lanes. It is scheduled to undergo maintenance next year. The remaining two sections of the bridge, used for cars, have been renovated.

The bridge collapse also damaged two main heating pipes, cutting off district heating and temporarily leaving residents in some areas without hot water, Klahre said.

Police said the incident was being treated as an accident and warned against spreading fake news on social media. “There is no indication” of criminal activity at this time, Geithner said. On social media platform X, Saxony state police urged people not to share “any false reports” about the incident and insisted there was “no evidence of third-party interference.”

The Carola Bridge is one of Dresden’s main bridges. It was named after the wife of King Albert of Saxony. Germany has around 130,000 bridges, many of which were built decades ago when traffic was lighter. There have long been concerns about the need for repairs and further investment to modernise these ageing structures.

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