German bridge collapses killing one and seriously injuring six

  A collapsed scaffolding lies under a highway bridge near Werneck, Germany EPA

At least one person has been killed and six seriously injured after a section of bridge under construction in southern Germany collapsed, police said.


A 40m newly-built section of bridge, as well as the scaffolding surrounding it, fell 20m while 20 workers were present at the site, police spokeswoman Kathrin Thamm said.


It is not immediately clear what led to the collapse of the bridge on Wednesday, which runs parallel to an existing bridge on the A7 near Werneck in northern Bavaria.


A collapsed scaffolding lies under a highway bridge near Werneck, Germany (EPA)

In addition to the one dead and six seriously injured, several other workers have also been slightly injured, she added.


Officials initially reported that several people had been killed.
Police spokesman Bjorn Schmitt told the BBC there may a possibility workers are still buried underneath the wreckage.


Work on the new 236m bridge began last year and is supposed to be complete by the end of 2017.