Tragedy; About 22 Feared Dead As Bridge Collapses

Two  or three vehicles carrying dozens of people
plunged into a flooded river after a portion of an old
bridge collapsed on the Mumbai-Goa highway in
western India, police said on Wednesday.
Rescuers had not found the buses or any survivors
hours after the single-lane bridge on the Mumbai-Goa
highway collapsed about midnight Tuesday, said
Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra state’s chief minister.
The two Maharashtra state-run buses were carrying a
total of 18 passengers, two drivers and two conductors,
according to Fadanavis.

He said the bridge, constructed in the 1940s, likely
collapsed because it was buffeted by strong currents
from the Savitri River, which was flooded by monsoon
rains.
chief of the National Disaster Response Force, O.P.
Singh said that 80 rescuers, including divers, rushed to
the area, but that their efforts were being hampered by
heavy rains.
A helicopter hovered over the area trying to spot the
buses or any bodies floating in the swollen river.
Various parts of India have been lashed by heavy
downpours lately. The monsoon season runs from June
to September.

Radio Nigeria