At least two buses and several other vehicles went missing near Mahad city after a bridge on the Savitri River collapsed early Wednesday due to torrential rains in the Konkan region

Raigad: At least two buses and several other vehicles went missing near Mahad city after a bridge on the Savitri River collapsed early Wednesday due to torrential rains in the Konkan region.



Pic courtesy: Indian Coast Guard



The Coast Guard launched a Chetak helicopter at about 8:15 am for carrying out search for people who were swept away from the bridge.

Rescuers fished out bodies of two men from the river and an intense search is on to trace those missing, Raigad district collector Sheetal Ugale said at the mishap spot, 170 Km from Mumbai. Teams of disaster management force has joined the Coast Guard and other agencies engaged in rescue and relief operations.

The bridge, more than seven decades old and a critical link to the Mumbai-Goa national highway, crashed around 1 a.m. due to the flood waters rushing into the river.

According to a Defence spokesperson, Coast Guard deployed a Chetak helicopter at about 8:15 am to carry out search for people who were swept away from bridge. A Seaking 42C all-weather aircraft with a diving team has been launched by the Navy.A Seaking 42B helicopter on another mission was also diverted to the area for search.

Two state transport buses with 11 passengers each were missing and there was no contact with either their drivers or the passengers, Raigad Collector Sheetal Ugale said.

Since the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses -- which started from Mumbai -- did not arrive at their scheduled Mahad depot, Ugale appealed people to get in touch with the concerned authorities about their missing relatives.

Locals said that around five to six private vehicles were also missing and they were feared to be washed away in the floods.

A search operation have been initiated, Ugale said.

"The bridge was built during the British era. After discussion with the National Highways Authority, we have shifted traffic to the new parallel bridge nearby. We are trying to confirm reports of other missing vehicles," Ugale said.



Pic courtesy: Indian Coast Guard

Rehabilitation Minister Chandrakant Patil said helicopters would be deployed and the help of defence forces was taken to search the missing vehicles.

Meanwhile, a 45-member National Disaster Response Force team reached Raigad from Pune to assist in the rescue operations.

NDRF commandant Sachidanand Gawade informed, “Around 4 am, we received a call from local officials about the incident after which a team of 120 NDRF jawans were rushed to the spot along with 12 boats. The bridge collapse resulted in heavy traffic jams, as a result our team reached around 10.45 am. Considering the flow of water and its speed, it will be tough ask to rescue people.”

He added, “We have come to know that in the ST buses around 22 passengers, including the ST staffers, where seated. The number that we have got is around 30 people, which could be increase or decreased.”

Incessant rains continue to lash the coastal Konkan, northern and western Maharashtra since past five days.

(With inputs from Vinod Kumar Menon)