Mandi (Rajeev Sharma): A late-night accident near Pandoh in Mandi district has triggered a search operation after a jeep carrying cauliflower from Lahaul-Spiti to Punjab plunged into the Beas River. The driver, Ramesh Chand, could not be traced after the accident.
The incident reportedly occurred around 11 pm near the 6 Mile stretch. The jeep, registered as HP 66 A 6528, was headed towards Punjab with a consignment of cauliflower when it is believed to have veered off the road and fallen into the river.
Ramesh Chand, a resident of Kandhi village and son of Jagat Ram, had spoken to his commission agent near Hanogi shortly before the accident. During the conversation, he reportedly said that he had crossed Hanogi and expected to reach Punjab by the following morning.
However, the vehicle did not reach its destination. When the agent tried contacting Ramesh the next morning, his calls went unanswered despite the mobile phone continuing to ring. Concerned about his whereabouts, the agent contacted Ramesh’s younger brother, Balak Ram.
Balak Ram then approached the Pandoh police and, with their assistance, tracked the location of Ramesh’s phone. The search led authorities to the accident site, where signs of the crash were discovered.
Part of the jeep was found in the Beas River, while pieces of the vehicle and the cauliflower it had been carrying were scattered around bushes close to the river. Ramesh’s mobile phone and driving licence were also recovered from the location.
A rescue operation was subsequently launched by the Pandoh police with assistance from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Teams began checking the river and nearby areas in an effort to locate the missing driver.
ASP Abhimanyu Verma, Sadar police station SHO Sunil and Pandoh Police Post In-charge Ashok Pathania were among the officials present at the site as the operation continued.
Mandi SP Vinod Kumar confirmed that the vehicle had met with an accident and said that search efforts to locate Ramesh Chand were still in progress.
The exact circumstances that caused the jeep to leave the road and plunge into the river have not yet been established. Rescue teams remain engaged in the search as authorities continue to gather information about the incident.
