24 engineering students from Hyderabad feared drowned in Beas river in Himachal Pradesh

TNN

Manali, 09 June 2014: 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.

 

The possibility of finding survivors is slim, said sources. Twenty-four students are still missing, said Mandi superintendent of police RS Negi. "They were taking photographs by the banks of the river and their fate is still not known," he added.

 

Police source said they would try and find out if any or some of them got stuck along the banks downstream. Sources said there was slim chance of finding survivor in the cold waters of Beas, which is in spate.

 

Water of Beas beyond Thalot is almost stationary till the Pandoh reservoir and its depth is 10 to 50 feet with several small whirlpools in about 20km span. The river is flowing deep below the road in a narrow valley, at some areas below more than 500 feet. Its banks are accessible only by riding boats or raft.

 

Angry people blocked Mandi-Manali highway and hundreds of vehicles were stranded. Residents of Thalot and nearby areas accused the project authorities of discharging water without warning, that caused the mishap.