The two buses were on their way to Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state, when the older of two parallel bridges on the Mumbai-Goa motorway collapsed near the hill station of Mahabaleshwar. The bridge is said to have been built under British rule.
“The primary reason seems to be the high pressure caused due to flooding of river Savitri due to heavy rains,” tweeted Devendra Phadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra state
“There is no confirmed assessment about casualties since the area is very dark. Administration will ensure speedy rescue and relief operations.”
O P Singh, head of the state-run National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), said 80 rescuers, including divers, had rushed to the area but that their efforts were being hampered by heavy rains.
“We have not even spotted the buses so far,” said Rakesh Ranjan, deputy commandant of operations at the NDRF, adding that the river’s current was very strong.
Mr Ranjan said 183 people have died and 7.7 million been displaced in four northeastern Indian states due to monsoon rains and floods so far this season.
In neighbouring Nepal, 84 people have died and another 37 injured in incessant rains. Ten more are missing.
At least 42 people have also died in flooding in Bangladesh, with around 1.5 million people affected over all.
* Reuters
