Bus wreckage of of Maharashtra bridge tragedy found

Raigad (Maharashtra), Aug 11 (IANS) Indian Navy divers have found wreckage of the two ill-fated State Transport buses which were washed away on August 3 when a bridge on raging Savitri river in Mahad collapsed due to floods, an official said here on Thursday.

"After a long search and working for 12-14 hours daily for the last eight days, naval teams have located two bus wreckage submerged in the waters at Mahad," a defence spokesperson said.

The wreckages were fully submerged in about 4-6 metres of water and located around 170-200 metres away from the collapsed bridge site on the busy Mumbai-Goa Highway.

The bridge collapse also resulted in at least another four-five private vehicles being washed away in the heavy rains and floods, claiming an estimated 42 lives.

Billed as one of the worst road tragedies in the state, rescuers have managed to recover only 26 bodies so far, officials said.