- A crane collapses at a construction site on a bridge, resulting in one fatality and two injuries.
A mishap involving a construction crane at the Bleilochtalsperre dam in Thuringia has led to one fatality. Another worker endured severe injuries and was taken to the hospital, according to the police. Initially, there were reports of a third worker with minor injuries. The police spokesperson mentioned that retrieving the trapped body underneath the overturned crane has proven challenging.
The incident happened around noon at the crane site, situated on a bridge crosses the Bleilochtalsperre in Saaldorf (Saale-Orla district). The construction of this bridge is ongoing, and the crane collapse has transformed the area into a chaotic patch of debris.
The authorities have yet to disclose the reasons behind the workplace accident or the identity of the deceased. Various emergency services, including the police, rescue services, fire department, and local authorities, are present at the scene.
Bleilochtalsperre: Germany's largest water body
The Bleilochtalsperre dam in eastern Thuringia is recognized as Germany's largest water body, spanning 28 kilometers in length and containing 215 million cubic meters of water. As part of expanding federal highway 90 west of the "Thuringian Sea," a new bridge over the Bleiloch reservoir is also being constructed.
Due to the poor state of the existing bridge, it's being replaced. Until the new bridge is completed, traffic will continue to pass over the old bridge.
The crane that collapsed at the construction site was of a circular cross-section, adding complexity to the rescue efforts. The new bridge under construction, intended to replace the old one due to its poor condition, also has a crane of other, circular cross-section, operating over the Bleilochtalsperre, Germany's largest water body.
