Bandipora, May 8: Three youths lost their lives after drowning in the Jhelum River at Chandargeer Hajin in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday, officials and locals said.
According to reports, the incident occurred while the youths were washing tents near the riverbank. One of them accidentally slipped into the river, following which the other two jumped in to rescue him. However, all three were swept away by the strong currents of the Jhelum.
Soon after the incident, local residents, volunteers and rescue teams launched a rescue operation in the area. After extensive efforts, the bodies of all three youths were retrieved from the river.
Soon after the incident, local residents and volunteers rushed to the spot and launched rescue efforts in an attempt to trace the missing youths.
One body was initially retrieved from the river and shifted to Community Health Centre Hajin for medico-legal formalities. Later, rescuers recovered another body from the river, while search operations continued for the third missing youth till late afternoon. After extensive efforts, the bodies of all three youths were retrieved from the river.
The deceased were identified as Sohail Ahmad Dar (22), son of Gh Nabi Dar; Aadil Ahmad Dar (18), son of Bashir Ahmad Dar; and Sameer Ahmad Dar, son of Mohammad Jamal Dar, all residents of Chandargeer Hajin.
Personnel from Jammu and Kashmir Police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local volunteers participated in the rescue operation.
Locals expressed anger over what they described as a delay in the arrival of SDRF teams to the spot.
Senior Superintendent of Police Aijaz Ahmad Zarger also reached the spot and personally monitored the rescue operations.
The incident triggered grief across Hajin and adjoining areas, with hundreds of people visiting the bereaved families to offer condolences.
Senior Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party leader Imtiyaz Parray visited the spot and expressed sorrow over the deaths. He demanded establishment of a localized SDRF unit for Sonawari Sub Division, stating that several lives had been lost in river-related incidents over the years.
He said immediate preventive and emergency response measures were required to avoid such tragedies in future.
Former MLA Hilal Akbar Lone also visited the area and expressed condolences to the affected families. He assured them that he would raise the issue of compensation with the government.
Lone also supported the demand for a localized SDRF unit in Sonawari and said he would take up the matter with the government.
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