2 vehicles plunge into BSL canal, 3 missing

Tribune News Service

Mandi, September 19

Three persons were missing while one was seriously injured when two vehicles — a jeep (HP66-2643) and an oil tanker (JK02CA-6211) — collided with each other near Dhanotu at Sundernagar in Mandi district late on Tuesday. As soon as vehicles collided with each other, they plunged into Beas Sutlej Link (BSL) canal, which flows along the roadside.

Dile Ram, a jeep driver, received grievous injuries as he fell down on the roadside after the collision. He was rushed to civil hospital, Sundernagar, by locals. His condition is stated to be stable. According to reports, there were three persons on board the jeep, while lone driver was in the oil tanker.

A search operation could not be started immediately as darkness set in soon. the police and the local administration launched a search operation only in the morning to locate the vehicles and missing persons.

Taranjeet Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sundernagar, said both vehicles had been extricated from the canal in the evening but there was no clue about those missing.

According to eyewitnesses, three persons plunged into the canal water after the collision. It was stated that the oil tanker was on way to Leh, while the jeep was moving towards Kullu after selling vegetables in the market.

During the day when the search operation was halted for half-an-hour, a few locals staged a protest and blocked the national highway for some time alleging that the district administration had failed to locate the bodies even after so long.

The DSP stated that divers were engaged in the search operation but still there was no clue about those missing. He said the search operation would continue to locate the bodies of the missing persons.