Footbridge collapses in Darjeeling, 10 killed

At least ten people were killed and 50 injured when an old wooden footbridge over a spring gave way when a Gorkha Janmukti Morcha meeting was going on near Bijanbari, nearly 30 km away from Darjeeling, on Saturday evening.

Darjeeling District Magistrate Soumitra Mohan said ten persons were killed and several others were injured in the mishap.

The bridge, which had been weakened by the September 18 earthquake, gave way when a large number of people gathered on it for a GJM meeting.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said ambulances were being rushed to the spot and the North Bengal Medical College near Siliguri was arranging for the treatment of the injured.

"The Darjeeling district administration and GJM will collectively deal with the situation," she said.

Banerjee said she had asked North Bengal Development Minister Gautam Deb and Trinamool Congress MLA from Siliguri Rudranath Bhattacharya to rush to the spot.

Banerjee, along with Railway Minster Dinesh Trivedi and Union Minister of State for Health Sudip Bandopadhyay, would leave for the spot soon.

"I have talked to GJM president Bimal Gurung about the mishap which is very shocking," Banerjee said, adding that the state government would stand by the GJM during this "crisis".