The Indian authorities have reported that at least 26 people have died after the collapse of a bridge under construction in the state of Mizoram, located in the northwest of the country. The bridge, which had been under construction for two years, collapsed on Wednesday with more than 40 workers at the scene. According to police sources, many workers have been injured and several of them are still missing in the rubble. The injured have been transferred to the nearest hospitals to receive medical attention.
According to police sources, rescue workers from the government-run National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are searching for possible survivors. "So far seventeen bodies have been recovered from the rubble. Many others are still missing," an Indian police officer said in a statement. However, the authorities are still investigating the cause of the collapse and have not managed to rescue all the survivors.
The incident was confirmed by the head of the region's government, Zoramthanga, through a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The head of government expressed his gratitude to the local inhabitants "who came to help with the rescue operations." The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, expressed his condolences to the victims and announced compensation of 200,000 rupees (2,234.11 euros) for the relatives of the deceased.
According to local sources, the transport infrastructure in the country suffers from safety problems, causing frequent accidents on its roads and bridges. The landslide with the most victims in recent decades took place last year in India, with more than 235 deaths in the western state of Gujarat.
