Bodies of bridge collapse victims yet to be recovered
PTI | 04:12 PM,Dec 21,2011Gangtok, Dec 21 (PTI) Bodies of seven persons, feared killed in the bridge collapse on Dikchu-Mangan highway in east Sikkim, are yet to be recovered 48 hours after the mishap as authorities find it difficult to make their way into the large trailer to extricate the bodies. Official sources said here that six of the seven bodies were inside the huge truck which has a vertical slab of concrete perched precariously on it impeding rescue efforts. There is another huge piece of concrete slab under the vertical slab and cutting through it was "not a possibility", specially as the dim chance of survivors in the truck could not be ruled out, Sikkim East District SP, M S Tuli said. Cutting through the slabs might cause the vehicle to be crushed under their weight, he said, adding extrication of the bodies would become even more difficult in such a case. The steel girder bridge at Rangchangkhola collapsed on Monday under the weight of the nearly 60 tonne truck, belonging to Teesta Urja Ltd, which was carrying heavy machines from Siliguri for the company's Stage-III hydel power project. Rescue operations have also been hit as Sikkim Police and home guard personnel deployed at the spot are not familiar with the design of the bridge, the sources said, adding the GREF chief engineer has been called for help. MORE
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