Nine pilgrims were feared drowned when their jeep plunged into the Beas river near Largi Hydel Project in Mandi as heavy rain lashed the area on Friday night.
Another group of pilgrims from Dhaler village in Hamirpur, following the Mahindra Scorpio jeep, was the first to notice the missing vehicle and immediately informed the police. They said the jeep got edged out of the road and vanished into the overflowing river.
Landslips hamper rescue
The police and other rescue teams were unable to reach the spot because of landslips at various places on the Kullu-Mandi national highway. Search operations were under way until late on Saturday evening.
