Four people were rescued from the waters following the incident at Höllentalklamm, on the slopes of Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze and near the border with Austria, a local police spokesman said.

It was unclear whether others were still missing.

According to witnesses, a number of people were standing on the wooden bridge in Höllentalklamm when it collapsed, although the exact number was subject to conflicting reports.

A popular tourist destination, the Höllentalklamm is a steep-sided gorge near the town of Grainau, in the southern state of Bavaria.

Massive floods struck Germany last month, costing almost 200 lives.

Houses and their occupants were swept away in the Ahr valley, in the western state of Rhineland Palatinate, the area worst affected by the floods.

In Bavaria, one person lost their life in the flooding.