2 youngsters missing after car falls into dam in HP’s Bharmour

The driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve after crossing the Khadamukh Bridge

Two youngsters have gone missing after the car they were travelling in fell into a reservoir of the National Hydro Power Corporation’s Chamera-3 Power Project at Khadamukh in tribal Bharmaur subdivision of Chamba district on Monday.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after and enlisted divers to look for the missing men. However, neither the car nor its occupants have been found. (Representative Image/HT File)

The victims are Manohar Lal and Gillu Ram, residents of Lahal village in Khani panchayat. They were working on the Kuther Hydro Power Project at Garela village and were driving towards Bharmour after ending their night shift.

Bharmour additional district magistrate (ADM) Sanjay Kumar Dhiman said the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a curve after crossing the Khadamukh Bridge. Some locals saw the car plunging into the dam and informed the police and administration.

Rescue teams rushed to the spot soon after and enlisted divers to look for the missing men. However, neither the car nor its occupants have been found.

NHPC authorities are mulling on draining the dam to search for the missing men. The remote Bharmour valley has many mega hydro power projects. However, the roads are narrow and in poor condition due to the tough terrain and fragile ecology.