Vehicles had to be redirected and boats stopped after a section of the Carola Bridge fell into the Elbe River

A 100-meter section of a bridge in Dresden, Germany collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday, seriously congesting local traffic and severing water pipes, the local authorities have reported. No one was hurt in the incident, as the last tram passed through just minutes before the collapse.

Local police reported that officers heard a loud noise at around 2:59am. By the time law enforcement was called and arrived at the scene at 3:01am, the bridge section had fully collapsed, a spokesperson told Bild. A streetcar had just passed the doomed section at 2:50am, the magazine said.

Security footage published online shows the moment the collapse occurs, accompanied by a burst of what appears to be dust and steam. A section of the structure with a footpath, cycle lane, and two sets of tram tracks over 100 meters long fell into the River Elbe below.

"In addition, due to the bursting of two large district heating pipes, we have the problem that the supply of hot water has come to a complete standstill in the entire state capital of Dresden," fire brigade spokesman Michael Klahre said in a statement later in the day, warning of the risk of further collapse.

Water up to 115C burst out of the piping and ran into the surrounding area, Bild reported.

Due to the partial collapse of the Carola Bridge, streetcar traffic is diverted, the municipal transport company DVB announced on X.

While this is one of four bridges over the Elbe in downtown Dresden, river traffic will have to be halted for an undetermined amount of time, according to city officials.

The cause of the collapse is yet to be determined. Emergency services are working in the area.

In June, Deutsche Welle warned that as many as 5,000 highway bridges in the country are in urgent need of repair. The same month, several German construction associations warned that planned federal budget cuts could prove "fatal" to the country's infrastructure.

(RT.com)