Indian authorities have launched a major search operation for 24 engineering students and their guide who have been swept away by a sudden surge of water in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

So far five bodies have been recovered from the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu Valley where the incident happened late last evening, a senior police officials said Monday.

"Divers are searching for more bodies and survivors if any," he said, on condition of anonymity.

Local TV channels reported that some 50 engineering students from the southern state of Telangana took a halt in the spot to take photographs when water was suddenly released from an upstream dam, sweeping 24 of them along with one of their guides.

The students were traveling on a bus and the incident happened enroute to the popular tourist resort of Manali in the hilly state.

Indian Education Minister Smriti Irani reached the spot this afternoon, where she met the remaining students of the engineering college.

Earlier in the morning, she had tweeted, "Spoke to Minister of Education Himachal Pradesh Shri Bali on the tragic incident of 24 engineering students feared washed away near Mandi."

Telangana Home Minister Naini Narsimha Reddy and government officials along with a police team also on their way to Himachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, angry locals blocked roads to protest against the Larji power project dam management's failure to give a warning sign before the water was released. Endi

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