Twenty-two people are feared killed as the two state transport buses in which they were travelling were washed away when a bridge linking Mahad and Poladpur on the Mumbai-Goa highway in Maharashtra’s Raigad district in Konkan collapsed in heavy rain in the early hours of Wednesday. Those feared killed include 18 passengers, two drivers and two conductors.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has deployed a Chetak helicopter and a Sea King 42C all-weather aircraft with a diving team for a search operation. The ICG is also diverting another Sea King 42B helicopter to help with the mission, a Defence Ministry spokesperson said.

National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel have also been deployed for the search operation. Two 40-member NDRF contingents have been rushed to Mahad. Traffic on the Mumbai-Goa highway was disrupted and smaller vehicles were diverted via Mangaon and two other routes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and offered all assistance in the rescue and search operation.

Ealier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was informed of the tragedy at 2 am, spoke to Raigad District Collector Sheetal Ugale and Superintendent of Police Suvez Haque and instructed the adminstration to take immediate rescue and relief measures.

“There were two parallel bridges — one is a new bridge and one constructed during the British era. The old one got collapsed,” he tweeted at 2.30 a.m.

“The primary reason seems to be the high pressure caused due to flooding of the Savitri River due to heavy rain in the catchment of Mahabaleshwar,” he said.