Mumbai: Two buses and several vehicles plunged into a river after British-era bridge collapsed in heavy rains on the Mumbai-Goa highway in Maharashtra on August 2 night.
More than 20 people are reported missing after the incident near Raigad district, 84 km south of Mumbai.
The bridge, built more than seven decades ago in Mahad town, crashed around 1 am after flood waters rushed into the river Savitri, reports ndtv.com
Buses and private cars are believed to have plunged into the flooded river with dozens of people after the bridge collapsed.
Two state transport buses with 11 passengers each are missing. The buses started from Mumbai but did not arrive at their destination.
Around 80 rescuers including divers are in the area to try and find survivors, said the National Disaster Response Force.
A Chetak helicopter has been launched by the Coast Guard to help search for the missing vehicles.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and assured all help in rescue and relief operations.
“There were two parallel bridges. One is a new bridge and one constructed during the British era. The old one collapsed,” tweeted Fadnavis late last night.
The chief minister also said there is “no confirmed assessment about casualties since the area is very dark.”
Traffic has been diverted to the new parallel bridge. Officials are trying to determine whether more vehicles are missing.
Parts of coastal Konkan, northern and western Maharashtra have experienced incessant rain for the past five days.