ATHENS: Tragedy struck in western Greece on Sunday when a bridge undergoing reconstruction collapsed, resulting in one fatality and eight people injured, according to Greek authorities.
The incident occurred in the Proastio area of Patras, a city located in western Greece on the route to the capital, Athens. The fire department responded promptly to the distress call shortly after midday local time when part of the bridge gave way during ongoing construction works.
Eight of the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical attention, while sadly, one person lost their life in the collapse. In the aftermath of the incident, a team of 35 firefighters and 12 emergency vehicles, along with drones and specialized rescue equipment, were deployed to the scene to manage the rescue operations.
Reason for Greece Bridge Collapse
Fire department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis revealed that the bridge had been closed to traffic since July 20 due to demolition work as part of the lower crossing’s reconstruction. However, the exact reasons for the collapse have not been immediately ascertained.
Efthymios Lekkas, the president of the Earthquake Protection Organization OASP, shared with ERT television that the authorities were aware of stability issues concerning the bridge before the unfortunate event took place.
The bridge, which connects Patras port on the Peloponnese peninsula in southwestern Greece to Athens, had been undergoing restoration work since 2021, involving significant financial investment of over six million euros, as reported by ERT.
As investigations into the incident commence, questions will be raised about the safety measures and protocols surrounding the reconstruction project. Authorities will likely scrutinize the engineering and construction practices involved in the restoration work to determine the root cause of the collapse.
