India: 22 People Feared Dead in Bridge Collapse Incident

Veronica Neffinger | iBelieve Contributor | Updated: Aug 03, 2016

India: 22 People Feared Dead in Bridge Collapse Incident

Two buses have crashed into a river on Tuesday night with 22 people on board who are now feared to be dead.

The Associated Press reports that the two buses plunged into a flooded river after an old bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway collapsed.

India is currently in the monsoon season, so heavy rains have caused severe flooding. Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra state’s chief minister, said that the flooding likely caused the collapse of the bridge, due to the strong current of the Savitri River.

Eighteen passengers were aboard the buses, as well as two drivers, and two conductors.

A search and rescue response force of 80 people, including divers, attempted to locate the buses and people inside, but no one has yet been found. A helicopter also circled overhead trying to spot the buses. This also proved unsuccessful.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “assured all help from the central government,” in the attempt to locate the missing people.

CNN.com reports that, in the last few days, severe flooding in India has caused 163 deaths and affected as many as 7.78 million people.

Publication date: August 3, 2016



India: 22 People Feared Dead in Bridge Collapse Incident