BHUBANESWAR, ODISHA, INDIA (REUTERS) - One person was killed and four others wounded as part of an under construction railway bridge collapsed in India's eastern Odisha state on Sunday (Sept 10), police said.

At least another five are feared trapped in the debris of the bridge, under construction for the last ten years in Bomikhal area of Bhubaneswar - the capital city of Odisha.

Teams of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (ODRAF) and local residents sifted through the debris with their bare hands, clearing beams and iron rods, as they searched for survivors.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced an ex-gratia of rupees 500,000 (S$10,513) for the deceased and free treatment for those injured, said local media reports.

Construction projects in India have long been plagued by lax and poorly enforced safety standards and these result in frequent and deadly collapses across India.