Mandi (Himmachal Pradesh) June 10 – For the group of students of a city-based engineering college taking photos on the banks of Beas river in north Indian state Himachal Pradesh, tragedy struck in a matter of couple of minutes as they were washed away in the swirling waters which suddenly rose several feet.
The gush of water turned out to be a tide of death, recounted surviving students. Many of them, particularly girls, were seen in a state of panic in Himachal Pradesh, where they are accommodated in lodges.
Photo shows a raft being used for search and rescue operation at the Beas river where 24 engineering students from Hyderabad were washed away on 08 June in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India. Divers were searching for 20 students and a tour operator who were washed away by a sudden surge in a river in northern India.
24 students were washed away Sunday evening in river Beas near Thalot on Manali-Kiratpur Highway, 40 kms from Mandi.
The students were caught unaware by the sudden discharge of water in the river from the reservoir of 126 MW Larji project.
Even as rescue and relief operations were on at the incident spot, the surviving students had a harrowing tale to narrate on the tragedy.
“It all happened in a matter of only 2-3 minutes,” said one of the students.
Hours after the students alleged their was no warning before the water was released in the dam, bodies of five engineering students were flown back to Hyderabad in the evening. Twenty surviving students also returned to Hyderabad on the same plane.
A search and rescue team on a raft is engaged in search operation at the Beas river where 24 engineering students from Hyderabad were washed away on 08 June in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India
Ravi Kumar, a student who was part of the group from the Hyderabad college, said, “I tried to alert my friends…I ran towards my friends but by the water level had shot up.”
19-year-old TV Suharsha, said their group had 48 students, three faculty members and a child of one of the faculty members.
“It was around 5.30-6 pm on the third day of our tour and we all wanted to stop for a break.
“We were all sitting on the rocks, taking photos. There was a big rock in the middle of the river and everyone wanted to reach to the top of that rock. Some made their way to it by stepping on a series of small rocks.
“After about 10 minutes, the water level started rising.
I was upstream and I noticed it first. I began screaming, trying to alert everyone as I rushed back,” a shocked Suharsa said.
“The locals were also helping us. About 15-20 students were washed away in front of us. I could just see the head of one student but I didn’t know he was still alive. I threw a rope towards the student but he just disappeared,” the student said.
The students alleged that neither was there any siren, to alert the people about the release of water nor any danger mark signboards on the river bank.
Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh (C-wearing Himachali cap) visits the spot near the Beas river where 24 engineering students from Hyderabad were washed away
