11 killed, 27 missing after bridge collapses in Indonesia

Rescuers have found 6 dead bodies on Monday, bringing the total bodies evacuated to 11, and still searches for about 27 others after a long bridge collapsed in Tenggarong town of East Kalimantan on Saturday, a rescuer said on Monday. The accident also injured 40 people, some of them were still treated in a nearby hospital as they got serious injuries, Head of Search and Rescue Office in East Kalimantan named only Harmoniadi said. "Since this morning we have found 6 more bodies that put the total fatality to 11 so far," he told Xinhua over phone from the scene. "Most of the people hit by the collapsing bridge got broken bones and serious wounded," Reni Wahyuni, spokesperson of the hospital in Tenggarong town of A.M. Parikesit told Xinhua by phone. The 700-meter-long bridge collapsed at 16: 20 p.m. Jakarta time on Saturday (0920 GMT) when the traffic was busy and was under repair, Head of East Kalimantan Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency Fredix Bid said. "There was about 15 cars and several motor cycles on the bridge when the accident happened," he told Xinhua over phone from East Kalimantan. At least six of workers repairing the bridge also went missing, said Harmoniadi. Searching for the 27 missing persons continued on Monday, involving those from Search and Rescue Office, police, military and volunteers, he said. "The rescue operation has been done by up to 2 miles from the down stream of the Mahakam River," the official said. More than 20 people have been rescued safely, said Harmoniadi.