At least 43 people, mostly labourers, were feared killed and 15 injured in flash floods caused by a cloudburst near Solang in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh on Thursday night, official sources said on Friday.
Twenty-six bodies have so far been retrieved while seventeen persons are missing, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, R D Nazeen said in Shimla.
Seventeen bodies were retrieved from Kangri Nallah, one from Nehru Khud, three from Bhang, two from Manali and three from Solang Nallah, he said.
Fifteen persons were injured in the incident, he said adding they have been admitted to a hospital in Manali.
The incident occurred at 11.40 pm last night.
The victims were labourers from Jharkhand and Nepal engaged in construction of Rohtang tunnel project being executed by the Border Roads Organisation.
The labourers, including a woman and three children, were either washed away or buried under the boulders and debris being carried by the swollen Kingri Nallah, 22 km from Manali.
Relief and rescue operations were on in full swing. Over 150 jawans of the ITBP, police, homeguards and BRO were combing the entire area to search for remaining bodies.
The district administration has provided ration, clothing, utensils, blankets and other commodities to the affected labourers and a temporary rehabilitation centre has been created in a local senior secondary school for the marooned labourers.
Chief Minister Vir Bhadra Singh has flown to Manali by helicopter to take stock of the situation.
