NEW DELHI: Tragedy struck a group of unsuspecting engineering students from VNR Vignana Jyothi College, Bachupally, Telangana, who were on holiday, travelling on buses to the tourist hill station of Manali when they stopped in the Kullu Valley, some 200 kilometres from state capital Shimla.
As a group of about 24 students were standing on the edge of the Beas river on Sunday, 8 June, evening taking photographs, they were hit by a torrent of water, in a sudden surge after water was released from the Larji dam, which reportedly opened the floodgates of the hydelpower project, without warning. Rescuers recovered five bodies on Monday, while they are racing against time to find the others, still missing.
NDTV reports Soldiers, police and other rescue workers were seen combing the banks of the river, while others in kayaks were paddling slowly downstream, checking around boulders. Divers, special forces of the Army and two helicopters have also been pressed into service.
According to Indian Express, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani who reached the accident spot in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district before noon, Monday, expressed grave concern over the shocking incident, assuring Himachal of all possible assistance from the Centre.
Irani assured the state Education Ministry, held by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh,of all assistance and support required from the Centre, a statement released by the HRD ministry said.
She also spoke to the faculty of the engineering college in Hyderabad who was accompanying the traveling student group.
India Today reports that Minister of Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju will visit Manali to oversee the search for the missing students. The operation is being undertaken in coordination with the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Steps are being taken to facilitate airlifting of parents of the victims to Kullu-Manali.
K Kavitha, a parliamentarian from the TRS, the party that governs Telangana said, “It was not an accident, it was negligence. There was no warning or safety measure there.
Ravi Kumar, who survived the disaster said, “The water level suddenly rose to five or six feet and the students who were close to the river were washed away.” He said no help came from the district administration for hours, an allegation repeated by other students.
Officials have admitted, the surge of water occurred when a hydroelectric power project opened its floodgates, sending tonnes of water downstream.
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