Three Indians killed at bridge construction site in Bhutan

By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - At least three Indian workers in Bhutan were killed and six others were missing after a bridge under construction collapsed, police said on Wednesday.

Rescuers recovered three bodies from the site of Wangchu bridge 60 km (37 miles) south west of the capital Thimphu.

"The partially constructed bridge collapsed on Tuesday and we are still looking for missing workers," said Lendup, a police officer overseeing the rescue operations.

The cause of the collapse was not known and officials at the Indian embassy in Thimphu were not immediately available for comment.

"Saying prayers for the lives lost and hoping we find all missing persons safe and sound," Prime Minister Lotay Tshering said in a twitter post.

The nationality of those missing was not immediately clear.

The bridge was aimed at linking Haa district with Paro, where the Himalayan country's international airport is located.

Several large infrastructure projects in Bhutan and hydro-power cooperation are an integral part of bilateral ties between India and Bhutan.

(Reporting by Gopal Sharma, Editing by Rupam Jain)