Himachal tragedy: HC seeks govt report by June 16

Meanwhile, the bodies of five of the 24 students recovered by the rescuers were flown back to Hyderabad on Monday evening. 

The 22 survivors were also sent back to Hyderabad in a special flight arranged by the Andhra Pradesh government.

Rescuers recovered five bodies from Pandoh dam, a day after at least 24 students from  Hyderabad  were washed away in Beas river close to Himachal Pradesh's Mandi city on Sunday. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh visited the site of the mishap on Monday and ordered  a magisterial inquiry.

 "I am deeply shocked after hearing about the tragedy in which 24 students have reportedly drowned in Beas River. Visited the incident spot and ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Mandi to enquire into the incident. My deep condolence to the members of the deceased family," Singh said in a Facebook post.

Even as search continued to find out the remaining people, a student has reportedly said that authorities reached the spot of the mishap late.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said  special flights were arranged to bring back the deceased and the survivors to Hyderabad city.

"Arranged for special flights to bring deceased students & survivors back to Hyd. Accommodated missing student's parents in hotel in Kulu," Naidu tweeted.

The Sashastra Seema Bal recovered the five bodies from the embankment dam on the Beas river.

According to reports, the students visited Himachal Pradesh for an excursion trip when the mishap occurred at around 6 pm on Sunday.

Twenty-four students of VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering & Technology, Hyderabad were reported to have drowned in the Beason Sunday at Thalot, around 40 km from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh due to sudden release of water from Largi Hydel Power Project, around 2 km away.