Kullu – A tragic incident struck the remote village of Malana in Himachal Pradesh’s Parvati Valley as two young men were swept away in the strong currents of the Malana ravine while returning home late at night. One of them has been found dead, while the search continues for the other.

The mishap occurred around 12:30 am on Wednesday night when Ram Chandra (21) and Indrajit (19) —both residents of Malana—were returning from Jari after collecting ration. While crossing a wooden culvert over the Malana ravine, they reportedly lost balance and fell into the gushing waters.

Two companions who were with them informed the Manikaran police. A police team reached the spot and launched a search operation. During the search, the body of 19-year-old Indrajit was recovered, stuck between rocks downstream. It was sent for postmortem to Kullu and later handed over to his family.

Efforts to locate Ram Chandra are ongoing. On Thursday morning, villagers from Malana joined hands with a police rescue team to comb the ravine. However, no success was reported even after reducing the water level of the nearby Malana dam.

Rescue operations are proving challenging due to the dangerous terrain and large boulders in the ravine, making underwater access extremely risky. The incident has cast a pall of gloom over Malana, where grieving families and villagers are awaiting further updates with heavy hearts.

ASP Kullu Sanjeev Chauhan confirmed the ongoing investigation and assured that efforts to trace the missing youth will continue.