At least 30 feared dead after bridge collapses in northeastern India

At least 30 feared dead after bridge collapses in northeastern India

2011-10-30 01:51:45 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW DELHI (BNO NEWS) -- At least 30 people, most of them children, are feared to have been killed after a suspension footbridge collapsed in northeastern India on Saturday, local media reported.

The suspension bridge in Seppa town of East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh state collapsed at around 5.30 p.m. local time. Superintendent of police Kime Aya said some 60-70 children had gathered on the bridge to collect insects which are considered a delicacy.

"Till now (8:30pm) we have recovered one body and rescued 27 boys and girls who are being treated (in a local health center)," Aye said, according to the Hindustan Times, adding that at least 30 people are believed to have drowned in the fast-flowing Kameng river.

District authorities said they were not sure if the footbridge collapsed under the collective weight of the insect gatherers or if there is another cause. "The footbridge was quite old, though," an officer said as quoted by the newspaper.

Last Saturday, at least 34 people were killed and more than 130 others were injured when a wooden bridge collapsed in the Bijanbari area of Darjeeling district in northeastern India. The bridge had been weakened after a strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck India's northern state of Sikkim near the border with Nepal in September.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-30