DHARAMSALA, June 27 — A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the deadly flash flood that struck a hydroelectric power project site in Kangra district, claiming at least five lives and leaving three workers missing.
The District Magistrate of Kangra, Hemraj Bairwa, announced Thursday that a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) would lead the probe into the circumstances surrounding the incident. “The SDM will examine all facts and conditions under which the tragedy occurred,” Bairwa said.
The victims, all laborers working at the under-construction Manuni Hydroelectric Power Project—affiliated with the Indira Priyadarshini Hydroelectric Power Project—were swept away when sudden floodwaters surged through the Manuni rivulet on Wednesday evening.
So far, five bodies have been retrieved and identified. “We have recovered five bodies and all have been identified. Efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining three,” Bairwa said.
Identities of the Deceased
Kangra Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri confirmed the identities of the deceased as:
• Chain Singh, 20, son of Mulkh Raj, from Kumaadi village in Doda district, J&K
• Aditya Thakur, 24, son of Shiv Kumar, from Rakh village in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
• Pardeep Verma, 35, son of Rama Kant Verma, from Sohanpur village, Deoria, Uttar Pradesh
• Chandan Kumar, 27, son of Pradeep Kumar, from Sohanpur, Deoria, Uttar Pradesh
• Sanjay, son of Harbans Singh, from Pankura village, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
One worker, Lovely Kumar, 20, from Poona village in Chamba district, managed to escape by fleeing into a nearby forest. He was rescued safely on Thursday.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) continued to comb the area for the remaining missing workers, despite ongoing rains and treacherous terrain.
“It is a challenging task for the rescue teams because of rain amid the strong current of water and difficult geographical conditions,” said Inspector General Abhishek Dular of the North Range, Himachal Pradesh, who personally visited the site to oversee operations.
In total, approximately 170 laborers trapped upstream were brought to safety during a joint rescue effort that stretched through the night into Thursday morning.
As inclement weather hampers search efforts, officials say the probe aims to determine whether lapses in safety protocols or advance warnings contributed to the high toll.
