Story highlights Car believed to have gone off a cliff around July 26

Air bags and raging river make it difficult to identify bodies inside

(CNN) A car which plunged 500 feet (152 meters) off a cliff into a raging river may contain the bodies of two missing Thai students.

Police in Fresno, California have been working for two weeks to try and retrieve the vehicle, which is stuck in the middle of a fast-moving part of Kings River.

In a statement, Fresno County Sheriff's spokesman Tony Botti said search and rescue teams had confirmed "there are two people in the car" but police have not been able to identify them.

"Recovering the bodies is a top priority, but safety for our personnel is also a top concern," he said. "A date of when this will happen is still to be determined."

Thai authorities said they believe the couple in the car to be two Thai students who have been missing since late July.

Point where a car is believed to have gone through the barrier into a river in Fresno, California.

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