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45 dead in India bridge collapse

A survivor of the bridge collapse surveys the scene of the disaster.
A survivor of the bridge collapse surveys the scene of the disaster.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Rescuers struggling to retrieve all the bodies of victims of bridge collapse
  • Bridge has been under construction since 2007
  • Engineering project is joint venture between Indian and South Korean firms

New Delhi, India (CNN) -- Forty-five people are believed dead after a bridge collapsed in the north Indian industrial hub of Kota, officials said Saturday.

Rescuers were struggling to retrieve all the bodies of victims who fell into the Chambal River on Thursday after the bridge collapsed, according to K. Ravikanth, the top administrative official of Kota district.

So far, rescuers have pulled out 11 bodies, he said.

The bridge, under construction since 2007, is a joint venture among Gammon India, South Korea's Hyundai Engineering and India's national highway authority, said Rajeev Dasot, Kota's inspector of police.

Kota, about 250 miles southwest of New Delhi, is home to numerous industries -- from fertilizers and stone polishing to textiles and engineering.

--CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.