Bus Driver Who Drowned Was Taking Son To Mumbai For College Admission

Mumbai: More than 30 hours after a bridge collapsed on the highway that connects Mumbai and Goa, the body of a bus driver has been located 100 km from the point of disaster. At least 20 other people remain missing, despite expert divers searching the river Savitri which runs 40 feet deep and is swirling with dangerous monsoon currents.

The colonial-era bridge in Maharashtra gave way late on Tuesday night near the hill station of Mahabaleshwar. A newer bridge that stands parallel to it remains intact. Two buses headed to Mumbai and a minimum of two cars lurched into the water. No debris of any vehicles has been found as yet by a team of 100 rescue officials whose work is being impeded by heavy rain.

Shrikant Kamble was driving one of the two buses that fell off the bridge.  The 46-year-old had sought permission for his 17-year-old son to ride with him for a college interview in Mumbai, according to newspaper mid-day. 

The driver's older son, Milind Kamble, told the paper "Mahendra had an interview on Wednesday. Our father asked to be allowed to drive the bus to ferry him from our home to Mumbai."

The air force, navy and coastguard have deployed helicopters to survey the river; rescuers in inflatable dinghies are trying to manoeuvre on the fast-flowing water; one of those boats tipped over this morning, triggering alarm till its passengers were recovered.

"The primary reason seems to be the high pressure caused due to flooding of river Savitri due to heavy rains," Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra, said on Twitter about a possible explanation for the collapse of the bridge.

"The flow of currents is very strong, making it difficult to launch a full-scale search operation. We are looking for vehicles and bodies over a stretch of eight kilometres," disaster management chief O P Singh told news agency AFP.