Parents of 15 city students, who got washed away in the Beas River near Kullu in Himachal Pradesh, had left for Delhi in an Air India flight on Monday morning.

In a tragic incident, 24 students of VNR Vignana Jyothi College of Engineering here got washed away in the river on Sunday evening when the gates of Larji Hydro Power Project reservoir were suddenly opened triggering flash floods. About 50 students along with three faculty members had left for the educational tour to Himachal Pradesh on June 3.

The accident had happened when students, while on their way to Manali from Shimla, had an unscheduled stop to take photographs near the dam when there was little water. But as the gates were opened, water level rose fast and they got washed away.

Chaotic scenes prevailed at the Shamshabad airport here this morning as there was confusion over the flight to Delhi promised by the State Government for the aggrieved parents.

Though the flight was announced to be leaving at 7 a.m., it was only around 9 a.m. that Air India officials called out the names of parents of 15 missing students to be taken to Delhi. The remaining parents are still waiting at the airport and another flight is likely to be arranged around 1 p.m., according to official sources.

In the meanwhile, Home Minister of Telangana, Nayani Narasimha Reddy, had already left for Himachal Pradesh via Delhi with a team of officials to oversee the rescue and relief operations.

Heartrending scenes were seen at the college premises here with some parents/relatives, waiting to get information, alleging that the management was not cooperating.

K Gopal Reddy, spokesperson for the college, however, said all efforts were being done to provide relief to the students and parents. The parents of remaining nine students would be sent to Delhi by another flight, he added.

According to reports, teams of National Disaster Management, police and revenue officials have commenced rescue operations in the river/reservoir early this morning and the search for missing students is on.