Search underway for missing girl in Hydropower Canal in Ganderbal

Ganderbal, Nov 10: A search operation has been launched by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in the Hydropower Canal near Bela Wassan area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district to retrieve the body of a girl who reportedly drowned on Monday.

Officials said that the deceased has been identified as Ulfat Bano, daughter of Gul Rehman Khan, a local resident of Bela Wassan. The girl is believed to have accidentally fallen into the canal, following which a frantic search was initiated by locals before SDRF teams were called in to assist.

Teams from SDRF Ganderbal, assisted by police and locals, have been conducting a continuous search in the fast-flowing waters since morning. Divers and rescue personnel are using ropes and nets in an effort to locate the girl’s body.

Authorities said the operation is still underway and additional teams have been deployed along downstream stretches of the canal. [KNT]