Bridge collapse in India, many missing

At least 22 people are missing after a highway bridge connecting the city of Mumbai with the beach resort state of Goa in western India collapsed

Mumbai-Goa bridge collapse
Mumbai-Goa bridge collapse

80 rescuers search for survivors after two buses carrying passengers plunged into a flooded river after the collapse early on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Indian police officer Sanjay Patil said that rescuers had not spotted any vehicles or survivors.

According to reports, heavy rains are hindering rescue operations. In the meantime, the traffic has been diverted to a new bridge in the area.

OP Singh, chief of the state-run National Disaster Response Force, said 80 rescuers, including divers, had been rushed to the area.

“Early reports indicated that at least two buses, travelling on the old bridge, fell into the Savitri river which was flooded by heavy monsoon rains,” he said.

"The buses are not traceable within a kilometre of the bridge. Due to downstream current, the buses may have been swept further away," Rakesh Ranjan of the National Disaster Response Force told the media.