Himachal: 25 tourists stranded near Beas river rescued

Twenty-five tourists including a foreigner, stranded for over two days near the heavily flooded Beas river in Bakarthach area here were rescued on Sunday, district authorities said.

The tourists were part of a Beas Kund Trek in the Solang Valley.

"The tourists did not have access to food, water or shelter for over two days. They were spotted by a shepherd from Gujjar community today," said Gaurav Singh, Superintendent of Police, Kullu district.

"After the shepherd alerted the administration, a local rescue team from Solang ferried the tourists across the river one-by-one using ropes," Singh added.

A member of the rescue team, Roshan Lal said that the tourists were trekking without any local guide.

Heavy rainfall in Kullu district has brought life to a standstill. Around 60 roads across the district were blocked by landslides. Road clearing operations are being carried out by the administration.

The district administration has issued an alert in the area and has advised people to avoid going near rivers and drains.