A devastating accident occurred on Wednesday morning during the demolition of an old bridge in Middle Franconia, southwest of Nuremberg.
A 100-ton concrete pillar collapsed and fell directly onto the cab of an excavator, killing the machine’s operator instantly.
According to police reports, the pillar completely buried both the excavator and its driver under the massive weight.
Recovery operations extremely difficult
As of Wednesday evening, the victim’s body had not yet been recovered. Police stated that the site remains too dangerous for immediate rescue efforts. Specialized heavy equipment will be required, and the recovery may continue into Thursday.
Emergency services responded with a large deployment, securing the site and supporting the recovery teams. No other workers were injured in the incident.
Cause of collapse under investigation
The exact cause of the collapse remains unclear. The public prosecutor’s office has appointed an expert to examine the circumstances, while the criminal police have launched a formal investigation.
Despite the severity of the accident, traffic on the nearby A6 motorway was not affected.
