12 bodies found, 30 others feared dead in bridge collapse in India

More than 40 feared dead in India bridge collapse

JAIPUR, India — More than 40 people are feared dead after a bridge collapsed while under construction in western India, police said Saturday as hope faded for finding survivors.

Rescuers had recovered the bodies of 12 workers from the site in Rajasthan state by Saturday, and they feared that the 30 others still missing could be dead, said Rajeev Dasot, the area’s inspector general of police.

Hundreds of workers were clearing debris from the site of the bridge being built across the Chambal River near the town of Kota, 170 miles (270 kilometers) west of Jaipur, the state capital.

The workers could take another three days to clear all the debris, Dasot said

Five people were hospitalized after the accident late Thursday, but their injuries were not life-threatening, he said.

Police were investigating the cause of the accident and have arrested two project managers on charges of culpable homicide, he said.

They work for South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering and Gammon India. The two companies were jointly building the bridge, Dasot told The Associated Press.

They face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.