MANALI: At least 24 students from an engineering college in Hyderabad were feared drowned in the river Beas near Thalot village in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district after large quantity of water was released from Larji reservoir on Sunday. The students of VNR Engineering College were on a tour to Himachal Pradesh and taking pictures on the banks of the river at Thalot when hundreds of cusecs of water discharged from Larji Hydro Power Project's reservoir at around 7pm, Sunday, ended up in the bizarre catastrophe.
According to police, the students, 18 boys and six girls, were heading towards Mandi from Manali on a bus when they decided to get down and walk to the river bank to take pictures with the Beas in the background. Just when they reached the banks, a sudden, huge gush of water washed them away. Sources said Larji power project management had not issued any notice before releasing water from the reservoir.
A massive rescue mission was launched with professional rafters and divers called in to look for survivors. Police and people from nearby villages too joined in the search for students but it was impossible to locate them in the dark. Sources said the massive current must have carried them to another reservoir 20km downstream at Pandoh. More rescue teams have been sent from Mandi.
Rescue workers on Monday morning recovered two bodies from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, while the fate of 22 others washed away in the flooded Beas river is still not known, an official said.
According to police, the students, 18 boys and six girls, were heading towards Mandi from Manali on a bus when they decided to get down and walk to the river bank to take pictures with the Beas in the background. Just when they reached the banks, a sudden, huge gush of water washed them away. Sources said Larji power project management had not issued any notice before releasing water from the reservoir.
A massive rescue mission was launched with professional rafters and divers called in to look for survivors. Police and people from nearby villages too joined in the search for students but it was impossible to locate them in the dark. Sources said the massive current must have carried them to another reservoir 20km downstream at Pandoh. More rescue teams have been sent from Mandi.
Rescue workers on Monday morning recovered two bodies from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, while the fate of 22 others washed away in the flooded Beas river is still not known, an official said.
Extremely sad and sorry to know about the drowning of AP students in HP. Have spoken to CM HP and he has assured full cooperation.
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) June 9, 2014
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