Bridge collapse in India kills at least 18 people, several still missing

New Delhi – At least 18 people died Wednesday after the collapse of a railway bridge under construction in the northeast India‘s state of Mizoram, authorities said.

The death toll is likely to rise as many more disappearances are reported. Railway officials said around 40 workers were on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

The deadly accident happened in Sairang, a city about 12 miles from the state capital, Aizawl. The railway authorities have launched an investigation to find the cause of the collapse.

Photos Posted on social media by Hari Babu Kambhampati, the governor of Mizoram, it showed part of the unfinished bridge over the Kurung River floor, between several columns still standing.

The state’s chief minister, Zoramthanga, who uses only one name, called the accident “unfortunate.” His government has announced compensation of one million Indian rupees ($12,000) for the relatives of the dead.

India’s federal government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has announced a separate compensation of $2,400 for the families of those killed.

“Rescue operations are underway and all possible assistance is being provided to those affected,” Modi’s office said.

The deadly bridge collapse is the latest in a series of accidents in India. Accidents caused by old and dilapidated infrastructure, including bridges, are common across the country.

In October last year, more than 140 people were killed as pedestrian suspension bridge collapsed in the western state of Gujarat, India.

In 2016, a flyover collapse on a busy street in Kolkata killed at least 26 people.

In 2011, at least 32 people were killed when a crowded bridge collapsed in the mountain town of Darjeeling.