Besides the two buses, several other vehicles were also believed to have fallen into the swollen river.
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At least 22 people are missing after a highway bridge connecting the city of Mumbai with the beach resort state of Goa in western India collapsed.
An NDRF team from Pune had on Wednesday started search and rescue operations at the spot.
The Indian Coast Guard also launched Chetak Helicopter to search for people who were swept away. The traffic on the Mumbai-Goa highway was stopped after the age-old bridge collapsed over Savitri River. Authorities, however, are trying to ascertain if the body is from the bridge collapse. It had cleared the inspection and was declared fit for vehicular traffic. “No survivors of vehicles have been found”, a statement from the Indian Navy said.
Rescuers raced to the crumbled bridge south of the financial capital of Mumbai to search for the passengers swept away following the accident late on Tuesday night.
NCP MLA Ajit Pawar said a Sena legislator had a year ago, through a query in the Assembly, spoken of fears about a tragedy waiting to happen due to the dilapidated state of the British-era bridge.
About 20 boats with almost 160 personnel of Coast Guard, NDRF, and Navy, apart from local fishermen and rafters, are at the work to find the remains of the two buses and other vehicles.
The two Maharashtra state-run buses were carrying a total of 18 passengers, two drivers and two conductors, according to Fadnavis.
Raigad Collector Ugale and Superintendent of Police Suvez Haque monitored the rescue operations.
The high pressure created due to flooding of river Savitri after incessant rainfall in Mahabaleshwar is being suspected as the primary reason of the bridge collapse.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that PM Narendra Modi had called him in the morning and guaranteed all assistance from Center. Currently, 4 NDRF teams comprising of 115 personnel are conducting the rescue operation.
