he death toll from the collapse of a bridge under construction in southern Vietnam has risen to at least 49, a provincial official said Sunday, with three other people still missing.
The official, deputy head of Can Tho province's people's committee, said a further 82 people were injured in Wednesday's accident.
"We are continuing our efforts to try to find the bodies of the three who are missing," he added, but indicated there was little hope of finding anyone alive.
"The official cause of the accident is still unknown but the investigators have stepped up their work."
Initial reports had put the death toll at up to 52, then it was lowered to 46. On Saturday, officials had put it at 47.
Construction of the 300-million-dollar bridge, which was largely funded by the Japanese government, was to have been finished next year.
But part of the 16-kilometre (10-mile) bridge across the Hau river between Can Tho and a neighbouring province collapsed early Wednesday in the nation's worst ever such accident.
Authorities have launched an inquiry and raised the possibility that the structure had been weakened by recent heavy rains.
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