By IANS
Balasore : At least four girls, aged nine to 12 years, were killed and seven injured in Orissa's Balasore district after an abandoned bridge on which they were playing collapsed Thursday, police said.
The accident occurred at Bangarpada village, some 230 km from Bhubaneswar, when the students of the Subarnarekha Upper Primary School were playing on the bridge in the afternoon, school inspector Pradip Nayak told IANS.
"The bridge suddenly developed cracks in the middle and collapsed. While three girls died on the spot, one succumbed to her injuries in the hospital," he said.
Those who died were identified as Dipti Nayak, Pujarani Pradhan, Sibaranjani Jena and Rinarani Jena – all from nearby villages, he said.
"While the condition of one of the injured is critical, that of others is stable," chief district medical officer J. Tripathy said.