GILGIT: An under-construction bridge connecting various areas of Hunza-Nagar district with the Karakoram Highway collapsed on Tuesday.

The 260-meter-long reinforce cement concrete bridge being constructed at Sikandarabad area at a cost of over Rs71 million was to connect Khizarabad and other hamlets of Hunza-Nagar with the KKH.

Public works department`s executive engineer Karim Khan told Dawn that the bridge collapsed after three support beams broke. But, he said that no one was hurt in the incident. He said that a committee had been formed to probe the incident.

Mr Khan said the construction work started in 2010 was to be completed in June 2014, adding that 75 per cent work had been completed.

Baba Jan, a social activist, said that construction of the bridge had been the longstanding demand of the people of Kizarabad, Hussainabad and adjourning localities as it connected the localities with the rest of the region through KKH. He said that the people had been using an old wooden bridge to cross the Hunza River, risking their lives. Correspondent