Shimla:- Search operations to locate the five persons, including four tourists from Punjab, washed away in a flash flood in Loti Nalla near Chaba, 60 km from here, made no head way on the sixth day today.
A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) search team abandoned the operations last evening on the presumption that the bodies might have flown into Kol Dam reservoir and are likely to come on to the surface in next few days, Sub-Divisional Magistrate GS Negi said.
A local guide was also among the victim.
Teams belonging to the district administration are continuing the search operation, Negi said.
Earlier, the district administration had stated that the bodies might have been buried under 20 to 30 feet of the debris carried by the flash flood.
Now, it feels the bodies may have been washed away into Kol Dam, Negi said.
People have been asked to inform the administration in case any body is spotted, he said.
The state government has already announced a relief of Rs 4 lakh to the next of the kin of each victim and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has given the assurance that all efforts would be made to locate the bodies.
PTI
