New Delhi, June 9 (IANS): The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Monday sent two rescue teams to Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, where 24 students of a Hyderabad college were washed away on the banks of river Beas Sunday.
Two rescue teams consisting of 84 people, with nine boats and equipment, have been sent to Mandi. The equipment includes deep diving sets, victim locator units and life jackets, said a statement issued by NDRF here.
"The teams reached the incident site at 9.10 a.m. and started search operations which continued," said the statement.
At least 24 students, including six girls, and a tour operator were reported missing after strong currents in the river in Mandi, some 200 km from the state capital, washed them away.
More than 60 students and faculty members from the V.N.R. Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology were on an excursion.
Five bodies have been found, the statement added.