At least 15 killed, over a hundred missing, after bridge collapses in Nepal
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Rescuers searched Wednesday for more than 100 people missing and feared dead after a steel footbridge collapsed in remote western Nepal, sending scores plunging into icy Himalayan waters. At least 15 people were killed, officials said.
Troops rushed to the area to assist with search and rescue operations following the collapse Tuesday.
The search was to resume at daybreak Wednesday following a temporary halt overnight, but hopes of finding more survivors in the treacherous mountain river were slim, said Anil Pandey, the top government official in the area.
Authorities believe some 500 people traveling to a village fair were crossing the Bheri River on the bridge in Chunchu when its support cables snapped under the weight, said Pandey.