Six die in Nepal bridge collapse

At least six people were killed and scores missing in Nepal this morning after a suspension bridge collapsed into a river in …

At least six people were killed and scores missing in Nepal this morning after a suspension bridge collapsed into a river in the west of the Himalayan country, police said.

The villagers were crossing the Bheri river to attend a religious fair near Chhinchu village, 320 km (200 miles) west of Kathmandu, when the bridge collapsed, a police officer said.

"Up to 200 people might be missing," police officer Parshuram Khatri said by phone from the nearest town, Nepalgunj.

Rescuers from the army and police have been sent to the remote site to look for survivors, he said, adding it was not immediately known what caused the collapse.

Poorly maintained suspension bridges over Himalayan rivers connect remote villages in the mountainous country that does not have a good road network in the countryside.