Rescuers on Friday recovered another six bodies from the debris
of the collapsed bridge in central China's Hunan Province, bringing the death toll to
47.
Rescuers said the search for the victims were made easier after
demolition experts detonated explosives at 2:28 a.m. to demolish
the three collapsed concrete piers, where more bodies are believed
to be buried.
They say the chances of anyone surviving in the debris are
minimal.
The huge piers were too heavy to be moved and had hindered the
search.
Before the explosion, experts and rescuers had searched the
rubble with detection equipment, but found no signs of life.
The 328-meter-long, 42-meter-high bridge over the Tuojiang River
in Fenghuang County in western Hunan Province, collapsed on Monday
afternoon when an estimated 123 workers were dismantling steel
scaffolding.
Construction began in March 2004 and the bridge was scheduled to
open to traffic at the end of the month.
An investigation into the causes of the accident is still
underway.
(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2007)