No trace of vehicles; rescue personnel unable to venture far into Savitri river, to recover bodies of victims from collapse of bridge on Mumbai-Goa highway, owing to heavy downpour, choppy waters
Over 40 hours since search and rescue operations were mounted after a British-era bridge over the Savitri river on the Goa-Mumbai highway was washed away, 14 bodies were recovered till last night.
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After the previous day’s seach yielded no results, NDRF personnel ventured into the river again yesterday
The bodies had washed up on the banks of the river at different locations. They will be handed over to relatives after the post-mortem examinations.
Some 35-40 persons are suspected to have been washed away in Tuesday’s mayhem.
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The NDRF, the Coast Guard, the Navy and the police, aided by local rafters, divers and fishermen, have launched a massive search for the victims, but the operation continues to be hampered by rain and heavy currents. The rescue personnel have not been able to wade far into the river.
Rescue personnel fish out the body of a victim after an extensive search operation. Pics/Pradeep Dhivar
Anupam Srivastav, NDRF Commandant, said facing constraints in venturing into the choppy waters, his team of over 100 personnel placed a large fishing net last morning at a distance of 4 km from the bridge, hoping to catch bodies in it. “We have anchored the fishing net in the river. A team of 10 members are constantly checking it.”
Rescue personnel felt that only if the rain abates for at least 24 hours will they be able to venture into the river. Besides the heavy rain in Mahad, water from the catchment areas of the hilly Mahabaleshwar have turned the usually narrow Savitri into a torrent.
No sight of vehicles
There has been no trace of the two ST buses or the Tavera swallowed by the gushing waters. The rescue personnel said their first priority is to fish out the victims.
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Srivastav said the buses are suspected to be within just a 1-km radius of the bridge. “But the water level has to drop to allow us to reach that spot.”
A 300-kg magnet has been lowered into the water to trace the missing vehicles, but unless the currents abate, it’s unlikely that the vehicles can be traced with it, he added.
Prashant Burde, Konkan region IGP, said all police stations in Raigad and Ratnagiri as well as the highway police have been told to send out alerts on any body that washes up on the shores.
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