BOAT TRAGEDY | No trace of missing trio, search continues

Srinagar, Apr 18:  The search for three missing persons continues after a tragic incident in which a boat carrying students to school capsized in the River Jhelum in the Gandbal area of Srinagar.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, resulted in the deaths of six persons including two children and their mother. The boat, carrying 19 passengers and heading east from Gandabal towards Batwara in Srinagar, capsized around 8 am after hitting an iron pole in the middle of the river.

All the children onboard were students of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sonwar, located across the river.

Rescue teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Marcos, have been tirelessly searching the turbid waters of the River Jhelum, spanning 4 to 5 km downstream from Gandbal to Raj Bagh.

Divers have been deployed to search underwater for any signs of the missing persons.

Officials said that the rescue operation continued throughout the night and resumed in the morning.

Despite efforts, the search teams have yet to find any trace of the missing individuals. The missing persons have been identified as Farhan Waseem Parray, 7, Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, 40, and his son Haziq Showkat, 9.

Their families, along with hundreds of concerned individuals, have been waiting anxiously along the banks of the River Jhelum for any news. Officials said that the search teams were focusing on specific areas where there was a higher probability of finding the bodies, considering the fast-flowing water currents.

They are also alerting all police stations along the river to be on the lookout for any floating bodies.

Locals and survivors in Gandbal lamented the lack of a nearby bridge, forcing them to undertake the risky boat journey across the river.

They revealed that a footbridge, crucial for safe passage, has been under construction for nearly a decade.

The delay in completing the footbridge has sparked criticism from the public and political leaders.

“The entire valley is in mourning. The officers and leaders come at the time of elections and then they never show their face. They never care about the needs of the people,” said a group of mourning women at Gandbal. As the search and rescue efforts continue, the community is grappling with the loss of lives and the need for improved safety measures along the river.