Dozens feared dead in bridge collapse

Hundreds of police, soldiers and villagers searched an icy river in western Nepal today for more than 100 people missing and feared dead after a steel footbridge collapsed.

At least 15 people were confirmed dead, officials said.

“We have policemen and soldiers on both sides of the river searching,” said chief government administrator Anil Pandey.

“We still don’t know exactly how many people are missing so we have sent teams to nearby villages to get information from families on whether they have not heard from their relatives,” he said.

Pandey said hopes of finding more survivors in the treacherous mountain river were slim.

Police official Bharat Chetri said relatives have so far reported 36 people as missing but the number could rise as officials travel through the area collecting information.

Some villages can only be reached by foot through narrow mountain trails and getting the names of missing people was expected to be slow, he said.

The rescue team’s efforts were being hampered by the river’s fast current and the area’s difficult terrain, said Yam Prasad Subedi, a government official.

Authorities believe some 500 people travelling to a village fair were crossing the Bheri River on the bridge in Chunchu village when its support cables snapped under the weight.

“The water is icy cold and the current is very swift making our work difficult. But we have our teams approach different locations,” said police official Naresh Shakya.

Rescuers had recovered 15 bodies by last night and 32 people who were seriously injured were flown to hospitals.

Dozens more with light injuries were treated at the scene and allowed to return home.

Five of the critically injured were flown to Katmandu for treatment at a military hospital. Most appeared to have head injuries and broken bones.

“Most people did not know what happened. The bridge collapsed and most people on the crowded bridge fell in the river. The bridge was on top of me and my leg was caught. My friends pulled me out and saved me,” said Durga Bika, 20, from his hospital bed in Katmandu.

Bika said he saw some people swim to safety while others were rescued by villagers.

Chunchu is located about 310 miles west of Katmandu in a remote part of Nepal where there are few paved roads. Most people travel by foot or cart.

A police official said the 400ft long bridge was built this year but that it was not designed to hold the weight of so many people crossing at once.

Authorities feared there could be many more casualties because the river has strong currents, adding that victims were likely to be the elderly and children.