Workers race to remove collapsed Dresden bridge as floods expected

Workers raced against time on Friday to remove more of a partially collapsed bridge in the eastern German city of Dresden as river levels rose ahead of anticipated flooding.

Another part of the partially collapsed Carolabrücke bridge in Dresden came down early on Friday during controlled demolition work.

Engineers began demolishing the damaged section on Thursday evening to prevent further danger and prepare for bad weather ahead.

The latest collapsed section involved tram tracks, with the entire bridge section being removed.

"We're running out of time here. We are really fighting against time here," fire service spokesman Michael Klahre told a press conference on Friday.

But demolition work should be completed by Sunday evening, officials said.

This deadline is key as the water level in the Elbe river will then reach four metres, Simone Prüfer, the head of the Road and Civil Engineering Department, explained.

According to Prüfer, experts are currently calculating the effects of the expected flooding.

The part of the bridge that is used by cars remains standing.

The Germany military is also involved in clear-up efforts. Two specialist armoured recovery vehicles have arrived, a dpa reporter at the site confirmed on Friday evening.

Work is to continue overnight, Klahre said. A specialist firm is working around the clock.

Some 100 metres of the Carolabrücke bridge suddenly fell into the Elbe River early on Wednesday in an accident that, had it happened at a busier time of day, could have caused disaster, as it is on a key tram, cycling and pedestrian route.

Floods like those expected at the weekend would significantly increase the danger of further collapses at the damaged structure.

The Elbe is expected to flood on Sunday, due to heavy rainfall forecast in the neighbouring Czech Republic.

The German state of Saxony, where Dresden is located, is also bracing for continuous rainfall in eastern areas and flood warnings have been issued for rivers nearby such as the Spree and Lausitzer Neiße.

The bridge is some 400 metres long in total and made up of three sections. The collapse came after two sections of the bridge had recently been repaired.