A 50-foot bridge, built more than seven decades ago in Mahad town, crashed around 11.30 pm after flood waters rushed into the river Savitri. The bridge lies along the highway connecting Mumbai to Goa. Several vehicles, including two buses ferrying dozens of people are believed to have been swept away in the collapse. Traffic on the highway has been disrupted after the collapse. The Savitri River flows through the Konkan region in Mahad. NDRF teams were rushed from Pune and are engaged in search and rescue operations at the spot. They are, however, facing some difficulty owing to heavy rains and consequently a traffic pile-up. Over 12 hours after the mishap, the bdies of two of the victims have been recovered, officials said.

 

20 of them are reportedly missing. Navy and Coast Guard helicopters are being used to spot possible survivors. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and offered his support. No survivors or vehicles have been found so far. The Savitri River is presently seeing a swell in its water level thanks to heavy monsoonal rain that has lashed the area.