The missing students were part of sightseeing group from the VNR Vignan Jyothi Engineering College in Hyderabad. (Seen here in a picture taken just before the mishap)
A fifth student's body was discovered by rescuers this morning who are searching the River Beas in Mandi where 24 students were washed away after water was released from a dam, allegedly without warning.
Here are the latest developments:
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has intervened and asked the state government to file a report by Monday on its investigation into the tragedy.
"Going by the content of news items, it is a sad tale that sheer fun of young students turned fatal as a consequence of utter and callous negligence of power project authorities," said a judge.
The court said that "In case the water was discharged without any warning as alleged, then prima facie it is established that it is not only a case of callousness but a case of grave negligence."
The students were from an engineering college in Hyderabad. They were standing on the Beas river's edge on Sunday evening taking photographs when they were hit by a torrent of water.(Read: 'One Second We Were Taking Pictures, Then it Was All Over')
The bodies of four students were flown home to Hyderabad last night. 19 students and one tour guide are still missing. (Read: 'I Am Among the Students Who Survived the Himachal Tragedy')
A group of nearly 50 engineering students were travelling on buses to the tourist hill station of Manali when they stopped in the Kullu Valley, some 200 kilometres (130 miles) from state capital Shimla.
The surge of water occurred when a hydroelectric power project opened its floodgates, sending tonnes of water downstream, officials have said.('In Front of My Eyes... They Drowned': Friend of Hyderabad Students Feared Washed Away in Himachal)
There are conflicting reports about whether a siren was sounded before the water was released.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has ordered an inquiry to fix responsibility for the tragedy. Three senior engineers in charge of the Lajri dam have been suspended for alleged negligence.
Himachal Pradesh and other Himalayan states including neighbouring Uttarakhand are home to a string of hydroelectric projects as India rushes to expand power generation to meet rising demand.
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