The collapse of the footbridge in Prague-Troja is under investigation by the police, the causes are currently unclear

Prague - The causes of the pedestrian bridge collapse in Prague-Troja on Saturday are not yet known; they will be determined by a court expert. The accident, in which two people were seriously injured and two lightly injured, is under police investigation. The city of Prague admits that the bridge between Troja and Císařský ostrov was in poor condition. However, it claims that the condition was not critical and there was no indication that the bridge, built in 1984, would collapse. In the near future, it will be replaced by a temporary structure over the Vltava River. The city wants to compensate the injured people.

According to the mayor's deputy Petr Dolínek (ČSSD), the expert should examine the debris on-site at least until Monday. Only then will the city allow it to be removed, ensuring that it can be assembled and possibly further examined. Prague expects that the compensation could be covered by the metropolis's insurance. In case of issues with fulfilling this, the city is prepared to face compensation, Dolínek said.

The most severely affected were an elderly man and woman, both of whom suffered multiple injuries. Two other men sustained back contusions and a foot and wrist injury, respectively. Rescuers took all of them to hospitals.

Prague is now planning to establish a temporary pontoon bridge or steel structure overpass, known as a rámusák, as a replacement for the bridge. The establishment of a ferry is uncertain, as the Vltava is shallow in this area.

A larger part of the 260-meter-long bridge collapsed into the river. Remnants of the damaged structure remained on both piers. The problematic state of the construction from 1984 had been pointed out in assessments from previous years, which is why experts continued to monitor it through electronic surveillance. They received reports on their computer every two minutes. Additionally, inspections of all parts were conducted twice a year. "Something really happened that we cannot yet name," said Václav Hvízdal from the company Pontex, which deals with bridge constructions.

Prague's mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO) announced that she wants to review a three-week-old assessment of the Troja bridge that failed to highlight the risks. She also demands a review of all bridges and bridge structures in the capital.

The bridge in Troja was made of concrete segments strung on supporting cables. Some lateral cables were damaged, but Hvízdal emphasized that the calculations indicated that there was no danger at that time. The state of the main cables had not been assessed due to the construction of the bridge, as experts believed they would hold the bridge.

The last signal from the electronic monitoring system was sent on Saturday at 13:16, after which the bridge collapsed. Police, firefighters, and rescuers arrived at the scene. They searched the icy Vltava for any possible additional injuries. They also searched half a kilometer downstream with the help of a helicopter using thermal imaging.

The city leadership soon faced criticism from the opposition for not investing sufficiently in bridges. However, Dolínek argues that approximately 1.25 billion crowns have been spent in the last three years. Prague, however, will quickly consider closing the Radotín bridge. Trams may not be allowed on Hlávkův bridge; a decision on this will be made in the coming months. The condition of Libeňský bridge is also long-term unsatisfactory.

In December, pedestrian corridors on the railway bridge will be closed for repairs. Then, in January, the city will announce the winner of the competition for assessing the Barrandov bridge and will start preparing a project for its repair.

Recent years have seen bridge and footbridge collapses in the Czech Republic mainly due to floods. Two recent cases of bridge collapses that resulted in loss of life are associated with construction work. These were bridges in Studénka and Vilémov.