In the Linz district of Auwiesen, a truck crashed into a pedestrian bridge on Wednesday morning, causing the bridge to collapse and fall onto the vehicle. The two people inside the truck were severely injured and trapped in the wreckage. They were rescued around midday in a complex emergency operation, incident commander Christian Dangl told APA.
Both victims sustained serious injuries. One was taken to MedCampus III, while the other was likely transferred to the Linz accident hospital. Their exact conditions were not disclosed. Crisis intervention teams were also deployed, according to Red Cross spokesperson Christian Hartl, as several coworkers of the injured men witnessed the accident and are now receiving psychological support.
Cause Still Unclear
There is no confirmed information yet on the cause of the accident. It is suspected that the truck driver may have misjudged the height of the bridge while entering an underground garage.
The Linz fire department responded with a large team and heavy technical equipment. Cranes were used in an attempt to lift the bridge off the truck. Although the bridge could not initially be removed, the massive concrete section was stabilized enough to allow the injured men to be freed using hydraulic rescue tools.
No other injuries were reported, Dangl said. No pedestrians were on the bridge at the time of the accident.
