Collapse of section of bridge in Patras, Greece – sources confirm two casualties

A section of a bridge at the entrance to Patras collapsed on Sunday and reports indicate two dead and at least five injured, who are being treated at the University Hospital of Rio and at the Hospital of ‘Agios Andreas’.

The bridge is located near a settlement of Roma, on the Perimeter Road of Patras, at the 205th kilometre marker of the Athens-Patras national highway, according to information from ERT.

In response to the incident, six ambulances and mobile medical units, as well as 18 firefighters and a specialist dog, were promptly dispatched to the scene by the National Emergency Centre (EKAV).

According to Kathimerini, there were also five to six individuals, likely from the Roma community, underneath the bridge, collecting metals at the time of the collapse.

In the past, this double bridge had shown problems of static adequacy, which is why from 2021 its repair work had begun.

This particular bridge had shown signs of significant corrosion and was being repaired section by section.