Punjab tourist drowns in Beas near Mandi, friend rescued by migrant worker

MANDI: A youth from Punjab drowned while another was rescued after the duo slipped into Beas river near Bindravani in Mandi city early this morning. The incident occurred around 6.30 am, prompting a swift response from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and a team of divers from Mahunag Divers Association, Sundernagar. Despite extensive efforts, no trace of the youth could be found till noon.

According to reports, the youth, identified as Jasdeep Singh from Kurali, was travelling with four friends from Punjab to Rohtang. Upon reaching Bindravani, the group decided to venture into the Beas despite warnings from locals. Jasdeep slipped into the river and was swept away by its strong currents.

In a heroic attempt to save his friend, Akashdeep jumped into the river but started struggling himself. A nearby migrant worker, Tanveer, bravely intervened and managed to rescue Akashdeep from drowning.

Upon receiving information about the incident, the SDRF and a police team from Pandoh arrived at the scene. However, despite their ongoing efforts, Jasdeep remains missing. A specialised team of divers from Sundernagar has been called in to assist with the search operation. Tanveer reported that despite repeated warnings from locals, the youths entered the dangerous waters of the Beas, leading to the tragic accident.

Additional Superintendent of Police Sagar Chandra confirmed the incident and stated that the search operation for Jasdeep was continuing.

Talking to TNR, Shiv Ram, from Mahunag Divers Association who is heading the operation, said a team of five divers from his association was coordinating with the SDRF in the search operation. “We launched an extensive search operation at zero point, but failed to trace the missing youth,” he said, adding that the youth might have swept down in the strong currents of the Beas.

Despite strict warnings by the government, administration and the locals, tourists venture close to the gushing riverbed, leading to loss of life. Recently, two female tourists from Uttar Pradesh, Aanchal (17) and Meenu (24), died after falling into the Beas while they were clicking photos near the water body in Kullu.

On May 27, two tourists were washed away in the Beas at Nehru Kund near Manali. The tourists were identified as Richi Tiwari (23) from Madhya Pradesh and Saurabh Shah (32) from Hyderabad. Richi and Saurabh were also clicking pictures when they slipped and they fell into the river.