Investigation into the Collapse of the Carolabrücke Has Been Closed

Just under two years after the collapse of the Carolabrücke in Dresden, the public prosecutor’s office has closed its investigation. The prosecutor’s office stated that there were no facts relevant to criminal law. Part of the prestressed concrete bridge, built in the 1970s, collapsed into the Elbe River on the night of September 11, 2024. No one was injured.

An expert report concluded that so-called stress corrosion cracking led to the structure’s failure. It is highly likely that numerous instances of damage had already occurred during construction.

No Criminal Breaches of Duty

The damage to the bridge went undetected during the regular inspections conducted in accordance with a DIN standard. A special procedure capable of reliably detecting broken tension wires had been “neither planned nor initiated” prior to the collapse, the public prosecutor’s office explained.

“Based on the findings of the Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office, there is no evidence of breaches of duty by third parties that were criminally relevant to this collapse,” the authority stated. Complaints filed against the Mayor of Dresden and the City’s Building Commissioner therefore did not lead to the initiation of criminal investigations.