KASOL, May 22: – A tragic incident unfolded in Himachal Pradesh’s Manikaran Valley on Thursday as two people were swept away by the rising waters of the Parvati river, officials said. One body has been recovered, while search operations are on to locate the second person.
The incident occurred near Kasol when the river’s flow suddenly surged in the afternoon. Locals, who witnessed the two individuals being washed away, alerted the administration and police immediately.
Kullu Additional District Magistrate Ashwani Kumar confirmed the recovery of one body, believed to be of a man in his early thirties from Uttar Pradesh, though formal identification is pending. “Search operations are still underway to trace the second individual,” he said.
Preliminary reports suggest the surge might have been linked to water released from the Parbati-II hydroelectric project earlier in the day. Officials, however, stated that the connection between the release and the incident can only be established after the completion of an inquiry.
A magisterial inquiry has been ordered to verify whether warning protocols were followed before the water was discharged. The Kullu Sub-Divisional Magistrate has been tasked with submitting a report within a week, Kumar added.
