They walked the winter trails for a living and never returned

Baramulla, Jan 9: A pall of gloom has descended over Chandoosa village in Baramulla after two local porters lost their lives after slipping into a mountain stream while trekking towards an Army forward post in the higher reaches of Gulmarg.

The deceased have been identified as Layakat Ahmad Deedard (27) and Ishfaq Ahmad Khatana (33), both residents of Chandoosa in Baramulla district. Officials said the two lost balance while negotiating snowbound and slippery terrain and fell into an icy nallah.

Despite harsh weather conditions, deep snow and treacherous slopes, rescue teams were immediately pressed into service. After hours of sustained effort, the bodies of both porters were retrieved by the Indian Army.

By Friday morning, news of the tragedy had spread across Chandoosa and neighbouring hamlets, plunging the area into mourning. Hundreds of people visited the homes of the deceased to offer condolences.

At the modest residence of Ishfaq Ahmad Khatana in Pachhar Chandoosa, grief was palpable. Relatives and neighbours sat in silence, many struggling to hold back tears. In one corner of the room, Ishfaq’s two children, aged four and six, watched the visitors quietly.

“They have been orphaned, though they don’t yet understand what has happened,” said Bashir Ahmad, a resident. “Every visitor leaves with a heavy heart after seeing them.”

Ishfaq’s father, Jamal-ud-Din Khatana, said his son had left home around 40 days ago to work as a porter with the Army. “The news of his death is like doomsday for us,” he said. “He was the only breadwinner of our family. Our home is devastated now.”

According to the grieving father, poverty forced his son into what he described as a dangerous profession. “He knew the risks of walking on snow-clad mountains in extreme cold, but he had no choice. He took this job only to feed his children,” he said.

A similar sense of loss gripped Masjid Aagan Chandoosa, where Layakat Ahmad Deedard lived. Villagers described him as a hardworking young man who hoped to lift his family out of hardship.

In several areas of Kandi Baramulla, porter work remains one of the few livelihood options during winter, when most economic activity comes to a halt. Porters routinely carry rations, fuel and other essential supplies to Army posts located in inaccessible and avalanche-prone areas.

“Porter work is among the most dangerous here,” said Arif Hussain, a resident. “They walk for hours on narrow, icy paths where a single slip can prove fatal.”

Residents have appealed to the authorities to provide compensation and long-term support to the bereaved families. “They died while supplying essentials to defence personnel,” said Farooq Ahmad. “Their families should not be left to suffer hunger and poverty.”