Even as the multi-pronged rescue work was launched on Monday morning, rescuers so far have managed to fish out only five bodies of Hyderabad-based engineering students, who were washed away on Sunday evening after the gates of a dam were opened without any warning. Search is still on for the other 19 students.
Officials feared that at least 24 students of VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology Hyderabad have died in the mishap as there was little possibility of their survival in the swirling Beas River on the Mandi-Manali stretch.Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh visited the area and ordered a magisterial enquiry and suspension of Resident Engineer of larji hydropower project.
A group of 44 students were on a trip to Manali, they stopped on their way at Thalot and went a few hundred feet down to the bank of Beas for taking pictures. The river at that time was dry as water was being stored in the dam uphill to be released on Sunday evening for increased power generation.
There was a huge gush of water in the river due to sudden release from the reservoir of 126 MW larji hydropower project. Ravi Kumar, a college student, who survived the tragedy, said the water-level rose by five to six feet suddenly and there was little chance of survival as only a handful of them knew how to swim.
The State Electricity Board authorities had not put up hoardings to warn tourists against going to the riverbed of the dry river or about the possibility of sudden rise of water in the river due to the opening of dam gates.Though a siren was blown, it was weak and many could not even understand why it was being sounded. lack of safety measures sparked resentment among the locals who blocked the NH-21 for a few hours.
Virbhadra Singh has ordered an enquiry by Divisional Commissioner, Mandi, to fix responsibility for the tragedy and suggest measure to stop recurrence of such incidents.He also ordered suspension of the Resident Engineer and a case has been registered against the staff for negligence and not forewarning the people before releasing water from the dam.
Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani and top State officials too visited the accident site. Irani said the locals met her and expressed their fear and panic about the safety of their children studying in two Government schools at Thalot where the incident took place. She asked the district officials to take appropriate steps to avert recurrence of such mishaps. The Minister also expressed her deep condolence to the families of the bereaved students.
Mandi Divisional Commissioner Onkar Chand Sharma appealed to the people that anyone knowing anything about the accident should bring the relevant information to his notice. He left for Thalot on Monday morning to start the enquiry immediately.
The district administration has requisitioned the services of the divers from Bhakhra Beas Management Board to retrieve the bodies. The divers from BBMB and NDRF have been pressed into service. Parents of the students feared dead are rushing to Mandi. The Chief Minister said that State Government will arrange airlifting of bodies to Hyderabad and relief would be provided to the next of kins of the deceased as per the provisions of the Relief Manual.District administration has made arrangements for boarding of other students of the institute at Hotel River Bank in Mandi.