LOCHEM: At least two people died on Wednesday and two more were injured when part of a bridge under construction crashed down on workers in the Netherlands, Dutch officials said.

Part of the bridge was being hoisted into place in Lochem, in the east of the country, when the cables holding it in place snapped, sending it plummeting to earth.

A reporter on the scene said a mobile command unit had been set up with police, engineers, and the fire brigade and drones were circling overhead. The authorities recovered the second body from the accident site late on Wednesday afternoon after several hours, the ANP news agency said.

Local mayor Sebastiaan van’t Erve said the whole community was shocked by the accident. “We’ve been planning this road for 20 years. We’ve been developing the construction for five years. And then in just one day, the whole thing comes tumbling down, killing two people, injuring two others,” he said.

The mayor said there was currently no indication as to what had caused the accident and that investigations were underway.

“My first priority is to stand by the people who have been affected by this terrible accident,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2024