On Slovakia, an unfinished bridge collapsed, three workers died

Bratislava/Praha - An under-construction bridge over the highway being built collapsed this afternoon in northeastern Slovakia near the village of Kurimany, not far from Spišská Nová Ves. Three people died, and at least 12 others were injured, four of them seriously. A Czech company was among those working on the bridge, which is facing prosecution in a Czech court for its role in the collapse of the viaduct in Studénka.
Injured individuals from Kurimany were transported to nearby hospitals by two medical helicopters. Two people died at the scene, and a third victim succumbed to severe injuries while being transported to the hospital, according to TVNOVINY.sk. Rescuers reported that extricating the workers was exceptionally difficult, taking roughly 20 minutes to reach those trapped.
Information about the number of those trapped was not clear for a long time, as it was uncertain how many people were working on site at the time of the disaster. According to Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák, who visited the construction site, there were 18 people working on the bridge's concrete pouring, three of whom escaped without injuries. Initial reports mentioned up to 30 workers.
The site was searched by mountain rescuers with search dogs and a helicopter equipped with thermal imaging even in the evening hours to rule out the possibility that someone was still trapped under the rubble.
The bridge's structure collapsed during the concrete pouring, apparently due to the formwork failing. The viaduct is intended to span the D1 highway, which is under construction in this section. Prime Minister Robert Fico stated through his spokesperson that he would demand a thorough investigation of the case.
In addition to Kaliňák, Health Minister Zuzana Zvolenská and the management of the Slovak National Highway Company (NDS) also visited the construction site.
The collapsed bridge is referred to as object 205 within the under-construction highway section Jánovce-Jablonov. According to the portal dalnice-silnice.cz, it is being built using atypical girders.
The construction at Kurimany is being managed by Váhostav - Sk and the company Bögl & Krýsl. As a subcontractor, it is one of five participants in the legal proceedings concerning the tragic accident in Studénka in August 2008, when a bridge collapsed in front of an oncoming train. That disaster claimed eight lives, and dozens of passengers were injured.
Ľubomír Marcinko from Váhostav stated, according to Sme.sk, that the concrete pouring was handled by Bögl & Krýsl.
"The accident occurred on our section, but the complete construction of this bridge was managed for us by the Slovak company SEMOS as a subcontractor," said Kateřina Plechatá, spokesperson for Bögl & Krýsl, to ČTK. The company Bögl & Krýsl is expected to provide further information after the weekend. So far, it has not been possible to obtain a statement from SEMOS.
A bridge also collapsed in Slovakia six years ago in Martin, but that incident resulted in no injuries. The pedestrian viaduct collapsed due to a rusted cable.