A 450-meter-long highway bridge under construction in Colombia collapsed, killing at least nine workers and injuring five others.

Image shows the collapsed bridge segment, including a support tower. Source: BBC/Reuters

The bridge in Chirajara was part of a highway connecting the capital, Bogotá, with the city of Villavicencio.

The bridge was due to be finished in June, officials said.

Relatively few workers were on the bridge at the time of its collapse as most were receiving a safety briefing.

The bridge is part of a program to improve the route leading from Bogotá to the eastern plains by widening parts of an existing highway.

The project includes construction of 18 new tunnels and 42 bridges and viaducts as well as lighting and traffic monitoring cameras.

Coviandes is the lead construction firm on the project. It is majority-owned by a Colombian investment corporation, the BBC reports.