Twenty-four students and a tour manager from Hyderabad based engineering college drowned in the River Beas at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh, last evening.

Bodies of four students have been found early this morning. The students include 18 boys and six girls. They were on an excursion trip with their other college mates. Two teams of National Disaster Response Force are on way to accelerate the search and rescue operation.

AIR correspondent reports that search and rescue operation started late in the night with special search lights.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao has asked a three-member team led by Home Minister Narasimha Reddy to proceed to Kullu to take stock of the situation.

Control rooms have been opened at State Secretariat and Hyderabad district collectorate to co-ordinate with the parents of students who are feared drowned.

A special flight carrying parents of the students will leave Hyderabad today. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has also contacted Himachal Pradesh Government.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his pain over the tragic incident.

Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Irani has also expressed grave concern over the incident.