http://sify.com/news/othernews/fullstory.php?id=13236644&vsv=39 Daman tragedy toll rises to 26 Friday, 29 August , 2003, 10:22 Daman: With the recovery of one more body on Friday morning, the death toll in Thursday's bridge mishap has risen to 26 even as rescue operations continue for the missing persons. "The rescue operation resumed this morning when one more body of a student was recovered," Indian Administrative officer, Gyanendra Shrivastav told PTI.
Nearly ten vehicles and many pedestrians fell into the Damanganga river after a dilapidated bridge collapsed due to heavy rains in Daman. At least 25 people were injured, eleven of them seriously. The 325-metre long bridge was the only connection between Moti Daman and Nani Daman (Grande Damao and Pequeno Damao). Following heavy rains in the region the river was flooded when the mishap occurred, official sources said adding, the water was around 40 feet deep. Concerned people are standing on both sides of the river since Thursday waiting to get any information about their missing kin. However, there is little hope of any survivors or any more bodies to be found as police fear they might have been flushed into the sea, just a few hundred metres away from the mishap site. The agitated public has blamed government negligence for the mishap. "The guarantee of the bridge expired long back. Even despite repeated demands for an alternate bridge, the government failed to provide the same," said one eye-witness. "Even yesterday, the administration people were the last one to reach here. It is the local fishermen who were carrying out the rescue work till then," he added. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard has made available its helicopters if needed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Constantino Xavier <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hello, > > Terrible accident in Daman. There are different > versions circulating through > the news agencies. Most say the bridge is of > portuguese construction and was > last time repared some 22 years back, though it has > been in terrible > conditions for a long time before todays collapsing. > Others say the bridge > was built in 1983. Does someone know more on this > bridge origins? > > There are many damanese living in Portugal: Any > possibilty of knowing the > names of the victims? > > regards, > Constantino > > > ************************************* > Goa @ http://www.supergoa.com/ > > > > Twenty-Two Children Die as Indian Bridge Crumbles > Thu August 28, 2003 01:52 PM ET > AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - At least 22 children > were killed and 20 others > were feared dead after a road bridge across an inlet > in western India > collapsed on Thursday, sending vehicles plummeting > into the water. > "So far 24 dead bodies have been recovered and 22 of > them are children," > Gyanendra Srivastava, the administrator of Daman > district, about 125 miles > from Bombay, told Reuters by telephone. > > He said local residents had reported that about 20 > children, who had to > cross the bridge on their way home from school, were > still missing. > > Officials said a school bus and other vehicles > carrying children were among > several vehicles that plunged into the water when > the bridge collapsed. > > Hundreds of people gathered at the scene in the > evening and shouted slogans > blaming the authorities for the collapse of the > dilapidated structure, > witnesses said. > > "We will not spare the administration. We have been > complaining repeatedly > about the bridge, but nobody heard us. Now we have > lost our children," local > resident Umesh Patel told Reuters by telephone. > > Motorcyclist Salim Anwar, 20, said he had been about > to go on to the bridge > when it collapsed. > > "I heard a loud crack and saw people rushing toward > me screaming 'the bridge > is falling'," he said. > > "I could hear cries of 'help, help' and I saw these > rickshaws and the bus > falling into the water. It was a terrible scene." > > Daman's mayor, Vishal Tandel, said a 10-year old boy > was pulled out alive > two hours after the incident. > > This is the latest tragedy to hit India in four > days. On Monday, bombs > planted in taxis killed 51 people in the country's > financial capital Bombay, > and on Wednesday stampeding pilgrims trampled at > least 33 people to death at > a Hindu festival in Western India. > > (Additional reporting by Maria Abraham in Bombay) > > _________________________________________________________________ > STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months > FREE* > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail > > > ########################################################################## > # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > # > # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), > and avoid top-posts # > # More details on Goanet at > http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # > # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to > reflect respect to others # > ########################################################################## __________________________________________________ Yahoo! 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