Jammu driver dies after oil tanker rolls down into Jhelum in Bandipora

Bandipora, July 5: A driver of an oil tanker died on Friday after the vehicle he was driving rolled down into the river Jhelum in Sumbal village of north Kashmir's Bandipora district.

Officials identified the driver as Jatinder Singh, a resident of Barakh village in Pouni Tehsil of Jammu's Reasi district.

Locals told Greater Kashmir that the vehicle was "speeding" when it lost control and rolled down into the Jhelum river near Wangipora village of Shilwat in Bandipora's Sonawari division.

Soon after a rescue operation was launched by a team of SDRF, J&K police, and other agencies. Following an hours-long operation, the driver was retrieved from inside the wreckage of the drowned vehicle, according to locals who joined the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, the body of a youth from Hajin was retrieved after a day of search operation launched by SDRF, MARCO'S, and J&K police, from the Jhelum river on Friday.

Nadeem Ahmad Malla, 19, from Mir Mohalla Hajin, had drowned in the Jhelum river on Thursday while taking a bath to "beat the summer heat".

Locals said Malla, the only son of his parents, took a dip into the river in the afternoon near J&K Bank Hajin and drowned soon after.

The rescuers, however were not able to locate the 19 year old and the searches continued upto Friday noon when the body was located, locals said.

When the body was handed over to the awaiting family members and villagers, the whole area plunged into deep mourning, most of them wailing and singing dirges over the tragic loss.