Two more bodies were recovered on Sunday from the debris of the collapsed expressway bridge in Pakistan's port city of Karachi taking the death toll to ten.
KARACHI: Two more bodies were recovered on Sunday from the debris of the collapsed expressway bridge in Pakistan's port city of Karachi taking the death toll to ten even as the government ordered an inquiry into the tragedy.
While offering to resign, Federal Communications Minister Shamim Siddique said a high-level inquiry had been ordered into the collapse of a portion of the 57 kilometre long expressway bridge on Saturday which was inaugurated a month ago by President Pervez Musharraf.
"The inquiry will find out why the Baldia loop of the bypass collapsed and if necessary I am also willing to submit my resignation as this is a national tragedy and should have been avoided," he said, adding that he had earlier pointed out structural flaws in a portion of the bypass which was built by the state owned Frontier Works Corps.
City police Chief Azhar Farooqi said the rescue work was continuing but they had no idea about how many more people were trapped in the rubble.
"There have been problems because of the shortage of heavy machinery to help in the rescue work," he said.
The bridge portion collapsed at noon yesterday when a heavy trawler crossed it crushing several vehicles.
Governor of Sindh province Eshrat-ul-Ebad visited the site this morning and told reporters that a full scale inquiry would be conducted by experts into the tragedy.
He also announced that a team of experts would also inspect all other bridges and flyovers built in the city to ensure such incidents are not repeated. "But they will not be closed for traffic as we can't afford that."
Police and rescue officials said the number of injured had been close to two dozen but many of them had been treated and sent home from hospitals.
"The dead included three junior police constables who were in a car when the bridge collapsed," one rescue worker said.
Opposition leaders have demanded the resignation of the city and provincial governments both allies of President Musharraf.
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