Dresden

Dozens of workers are working on the Carola Bridge in Dresden. Partial demolition began on Friday night, and further parts collapsed. Experts have now found corrosion on a supporting structure. Time is running out for the emergency services – flooding is threatening the Elbe from Sunday.

Fire service spokesman Michael Klahre had previously said that support had been requested from the Saxony State Command. Two special “Büffel” recovery vehicles will be used. They will initially be there primarily in the event that the civilian clearance and recovery technology fails.

According to the German army, the 1,500 hp “Buffalo” can lift 30 tons with its crane system. The chassis is therefore equivalent to that of a Leopard 2 battle tank. The tank is able to clear obstacles and remove soil. It is also able to drive through bodies of water.

During tests at the point of collapse, corrosion was also detected. It was discovered on site that the steel strands that serve as a support structure in the concrete of the bridge were already partially corroded, said the head of the road and civil engineering office, Simone Prüfer. “The weak point was the pillar at that moment.”

Investigations are also being carried out on the following trains A and B. “Train B, we already know this and it is visible, also shows deformations in the 8 to 15 centimetre range.” The railings have drifted apart.

The demolition and securing work on the bridge, which began on Friday night, is now in full swing. During the demolition work, another section of the Carola Bridge collapsed on Friday night. This is the bridge section with tram tracks, which had already partially collapsed into the Elbe on Wednesday night, a police spokesman announced this morning.

The concrete parts will be dismantled and transported away using special machines. A total of ten excavators were in use on Friday. The German army is also on site with two special recovery vehicles in case other vehicles fail.

In the evening, tram tracks and district heating pipes on the Neustadt side of the bridge were separated with small explosions. A 100-meter security zone was set up around the bridgehead on this side of the Elbe. The Ministry of Finance and some wings of the State Chancellery are located there. The Ministry and the affected State Chancellery areas were evacuated.

Flooding predicted in Elbe from Sunday

Time is running out for the emergency services: flooding is forecast in the Elbe from Sunday, which would significantly increase the danger. “We are running out of time here,” said fire department spokesman Klahre. Given the rising water level, the aim is to recover as much debris as possible by Sunday so that “this does not have any further impact on the flooding.”

The bridge consists of three parallel sections: the so-called bridge section C was used by trams and there was a pedestrian and cycle path. The neighboring bridge sections A and B were used for car traffic.

The possible flooding is due to the heavy rainfall expected in the Czech Republic. According to the State Flood Center, 200 litres of precipitation per square metre are expected to fall within 72 hours in the Czech Republic and southern Poland, including the Jizera and Giant Mountains, by Monday. Up to 350 litres are possible in the upper mountain areas. Continuous rain is also expected in eastern Saxony. Flood warnings are also to be issued for the Elbe and the Lusatian Neisse and the Spree.

The approximately 400-meter-long bridge consisted of a total of three bridge sections, which were connected to each other by so-called crossbars. During the night of Wednesday, a large part of bridge section C collapsed.

dpa/saha/me/seed