A search operation was launched in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district after a jeep carrying cauliflower to Punjab reportedly fell into the Beas River near the 6 Mile area of Pandoh late at night. The driver, identified as Ramesh Chand, remains missing.
The vehicle, bearing registration number HP 66 A 6528, was travelling from Lahaul-Spiti towards Punjab when the accident is believed to have taken place at around 11 pm. The incident went unnoticed at the time, and came to light only after the jeep failed to arrive at its destination the following morning.
Ramesh Chand, son of Jagat Ram and a resident of Kandhi village, had been transporting the vegetable consignment. Before the accident, he reportedly spoke to his commission agent over the phone near Hanogi and informed him that he had crossed the area and expected to reach Punjab by morning.
When the vehicle did not arrive as expected, the agent repeatedly attempted to contact Ramesh. Although his phone continued to ring, there was no response. The agent subsequently informed Ramesh’s younger brother, Balak Ram, who began efforts to trace him.
With assistance from the Pandoh police, Balak Ram tracked the location of Ramesh’s mobile phone. Police personnel reached the spot and found evidence indicating that the jeep had gone off the road and entered the river.
A portion of the vehicle was found submerged in the Beas, while debris from the accident and the cauliflower being transported were scattered in bushes near the riverbank. Ramesh’s mobile phone and driving licence were also recovered from the area.
Following the discovery, personnel from the Pandoh Police Post, along with members of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), began searching the river and its surroundings for the missing driver.
Senior police officials, including ASP Abhimanyu Verma, Sadar SHO Sunil and Pandoh Police Post In-charge Ashok Pathania, were present during the rescue effort. Teams continued their search late into the night despite the challenging conditions around the river.
Mandi Superintendent of Police Vinod Kumar confirmed the accident and said that efforts to trace Ramesh Chand were continuing. Authorities are examining the circumstances that led to the vehicle plunging into the Beas River while the search for the missing driver remains underway.
