Mahad: Twenty dead bodies have so far been recovered by the search teams along with the locals from Savitri river in the Mumbai-Goa highway Mahad bridge collapse tragedy.
Authorities have now made it clear that at least 42 people fell into Savitri River with the vehicles in which they were travelling and are reported to be missing.
Two buses and some private vehicles got swept away following collapse of the British-era bridge late on Tuesday night. Bodies were flown away with water current up to 120 kilometres from the spot of bridge collapse.
An NDRF team from Pune had on Wednesday started search and rescue operations at the spot. The team found seven bodies yesterday and they confirmed that seven more bodies were found by local fishermen trecovered bodies to 14. Six more bodies found later, out of which three were found near Ambet Khadi bringing the total death toll now to 20. No bus or car has yet been recovered from the river.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced a judicial probe into the incident in the Legislative Assembly. He announced ex gratia of Rs five lakh to the kin of the deceased.