NEW DELHI -At least 17 labourers work­ing on a railway bridge being built across a ravine in India’s eastern Mizoram state were killed when it collapsed on Wednesday, officials said, with others reported miss­ing. Video footage posted by Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga showed a met­al frame that had toppled off towering columns into a wooded valley below. “Under construction railway over bridge at Sairang, near Aizawl collapsed today; at least 17 workers died,” Zoramthanga, who uses only one name, said on X, formerly known as Twit­ter. The Indian Express news­paper quoted a policeman as saying that 17 bodies had been recovered and “many others” were missing. “Rescue operations are underway and all pos­sible assistance is being given to those affected,” the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Source: The Nation August 23, 2023 19:54 UTC