Mandi, Himachal Pradesh (June 14, 2014): The massive search operation launched by the Himachal Pradesh (HP) government seems to be failing to recover the bodies of the remaining 16 students who were washed away in the Beas on June 8, dashing the hopes of the victims’ relatives.
The state government has now decided to use the sight-scan radar system to locate the bodies in the Pandoh Dam on June 15.
According to The Tribune (TT) [t]he search operation was carried out between 7 am and 10 am by controlling the water in the Parvati II and Larji power projects to keep the flow down stream minimum.
After reducing the water flow in the 3.5-km stretch from the spot of the mishap and the tunnel of the Larji project, about 500 personnel from various agencies carried out the operation.
The search teams tried to locate the bodies believed to be trapped under boulders and trenches in the river, but to no avail.
It is notable that 24 students who were on a holiday trip were washed away by sudden release of water by dam authorities in Beas River near Mandi. Students were clicking photographs when the incident happened.
So far 8 dead bodies have been fished out by the divers and rescue workers but remaining 16 persons or their bodies are still untraceable.
Mandi DC Devesh Kumar reportedly told media person on June 14: “From tomorrow morning, we will use the sight-scan radar system (multi-beam sonar technology) to locate the bodies in the dam.”
“The radar emits sound wave and takes images in water more than 10 meters deep. It would be kept on a raft on which divers would also sail and on getting any wave signal they would try to pull the object out.”, he added.