Rescue teams look for the bodies of the IAF personnel in the Ravi near Chamba on Saturday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 6

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel from the Pathankot airbase drowned while three airmen were hospitalised after the water level in the Ravi river rose near Chamba town on Saturday evening.The sudden rise in the level was caused due to release of water from the Chamera-II dam, sources said.Those who drowned have been identified as Corporal Shakti Singh (30) of Jaipur and Corporal Nitesh Mishra (26) from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. Airmen Naval Pandey, Naveen Sharma and Gajender Singh are recuperating at the Chamba Civil Hospital.Deputy Commissioner Sudesh Mokhta said, “The five IAF personnel were clicking photos on the river bank near Chamba when the strong currents swept them away. While Nitesh and Shakti drowned, the three others managed to swim to a safer place.”The district authorities were informed about the accident following which search was launched. The bodies of the two airmen were recovered today.The sources said the water level in the river rose when surplus water was discharged from the Chamera-II dam of the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) located upstream. It was being suspected that the airmen did not hear the alert sounded through a siren by the NHPC authorities. Deputy Commissioner Sudesh Mokhta has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Shubhkaran Singh will head the investigation and will submit the report within 15 days regarding the circumstances that led to the accident. Last year, when students drowned in the Beas river in Mandi, the state government had issued directions regarding the release of water from dams. It had ordered closure of all paths into the riverbeds. However, it seems that the directions were not complied with at Chamba where the personnel had entered the Ravi riverbed for clicking photographs.

Probe ordered

• The five Indian Air Force personnel were clicking photos on the river bank near Chamba
• The personnel might have not heard the alert sounded by the NHPC authorities
• Deputy Commissioner Sudesh Mokhta has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident

• Two IAF men drown in Ravi near Chamba while clicking photos

• DHARAMSHALA: Two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel from the Pathankot airbase were drowned and three airmen were hospitalised after the water level in the Ravi river suddenly rose near Chamba town on Saturday evening.

  HT PHOTOPolice at the spot where the bodies of the two Indian Air Force personnel were recovered near Chamba on Sunday.

  The dead were identified as corporal Shakti Singh, 30, of Jaipur in Rajasthan and corporal Nitesh Mishra, 26 from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. Airmen Naval Pandey, Naveen Sharma and Gajender Singh were admitted to the Chamba Civil Hospital.

  Deputy commissioner Sudesh Mokhta said, “The five were clicking photos on the river bank near Chamba town when the water level in the Ravi suddenly rose and swept them away. Nitesh and Shakti were drowned, while the three others managed to swim to safety.”

  The district authorities were informed about the accident following which a search was launched.See page 9

  he bodies of the two IAF personnel were recovered on Sunday morning.

  ALERT WENT UNHEARD?

  Sources said that the water level in the river rose when surplus water was discharged from the Chamera-2 dam of the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) located upstream.The sources said that it is suspected that the airmen did not hear the alert sounded through a siren by the NHPC authorities.

  MAGISTERIAL PROBE

  The government has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. “Additional district magistrate (ADM) Shubhkaran Singh will hold the investigation and submit a report in 15 days,” the deputy commissioner said.

  RIVER TRAGEDIES

  Twenty-four engineering students of a private college from Hyderabad were washed away when they were clicking photos on the bank of the Beas river on June 8, 2014. The water level suddenly rose when the Larji dam authorities released surplus water into the river, causing one of the worst tragedies of its kind in the state.

  In December last year, eight people were swept away in the Chandrabhaga in the tribal Pangi valley of Chamba district when their vehicle veered off the road and fell into the river. The bodies were found after a week-long search.