Mahad bridge collapse: Search operation to be intensified

Mumbai-Goa Mahad bridge collapse rescue personnel failed to trace more bodies in Savitri river after the collapse of a bridge near Mahad in Raigad district, they have decided to intensify the search today as water flow has receded.

So far, 26 bodies have been recovered during the search and rescue operations launched a day after two State Transport buses and some other vehicles fell into the swollen river after Mumbai-Goa highway bridge collapsed on the night of August 2.

Despite all efforts by NDRF, Navy and Coast Guard, no body or remains of vehicles could be traced yesterday. "The flow of flood water has increased a bit since this morning and therefore, we have intensified our search operation near the collapsed bridge now," NDRF's 5th battalion commandant Anupam Srivastava told PTI today.

 "Almost 150 meters area of the Mumbai-Goa Mahad bridge collapse has not been searched so far extensively due to rapid current of river water and now we are focusing on this too," he said. When asked how long their search would continue, Srivastava said his team would not call off their operation till they get orders from higher authorities.

The NDRF team would focus on tracing the remains of vehicles left over the areas of Kemburli, also tracking the area through GPS and has briefed the anxious kin of victims about their efforts.

Raigad's Residential Deputy Collector Satish Bagal had yesterday said there are chances that the unrecovered bodies might have got stuck in the washed away vehicles, which are also yet to be traced.