Grief, Despondency, and Helplessness as Couple, Three Kids Laid to Rest Amid Heartbreak
Suhail Khan
Uri, Jan 06 ; The sky was overcast, and so were their faces. They watched glumly as they bid a tearful goodbye to the five departed family members. Relatives of the victim family, with storm-like expressions, stood in the front row of the funeral, tears rolling down their faces as they cried out, “What happened? Is this a calamity? Is this grief?”
Profound sorrow enveloped the entire border town of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district as five members of a single family were laid to rest on Monday evening.
An official told Kashmir Despatch that the five family members, including a month-old infant and an 18-month-old boy, lost their lives due to suffocation in the Pandrathan area of Srinagar on Sunday evening, where they were living in rented accommodation.
The deceased have been identified as Ajaz Ahmad Bhat (38), his wife Saleema (32), and their three children: Areeb (3), Hamza (18 months), and the month-old infant boy.
Meanwhile, the news shocked everyone—across Kashmir, eyes were moist, hearts were heavy, and despair was palpable. The tragedy shattered the peace of the entire valley, leaving hardly anyone untouched by grief. It seemed as if no eye remained dry and no heart was unbroken when the tragic news broke late Sunday evening regarding the suffocation-related deaths of the family members in central Kashmir’s Srinagar.
As word spread, a wave of mourning swept across Kashmir. Sorrow erupted everywhere, and every corner felt the weight of this tragedy, with the pain being collectively shared.
The emergence of this news left the valley shattered; dreams were broken, and hearts were left disheartened. This episode prompted cries of grief in every street and corner of Kashmir, enveloping the entire region in sorrow and disbelief.
Locals told Kashmir Despatch that since late Sunday night, people from all walks of life have been visiting the family’s home in the Gingal area, waiting throughout the day in a somber atmosphere and sharing in the mourning as the community united in grief.
Gingal, a remote area of the border town of Uri, was shrouded in darkness. The weight of mourning brought tears to every eye, and everyone felt crushed under the sorrow. Each face reflected despair, with the same question on everyone’s lips: “What happened? Is this a calamity? Is this grief?”
Amid the mourning, late Sunday evening, the bodies were finally laid to rest in their ancestral graveyard, marking a sorrowful farewell for the family amid collective heartbreak.
Thousands of people across the northern region of Kashmir participated in the last rites of five family members.
Everyone is mourning, and everyone is heartbroken. It’s a tragic loss for the entire area; we have lost our dearest ones, our family members, said Imtiyaz, a local relative.
He mentioned, “This is a great tragedy for the whole community. It is a shock for everyone here.”
He also shared that the deceased left behind four brothers and a bed-ridden father.
He added, “He lived alone in a hotel in Srinagar, where he worked. Now, there is no one left in this family; everyone is mourning due to this unfortunate incident. This pain has spread throughout the area, and everyone is in grief.”
Samadullah, a local from Chandwari, another village in Uri, who was also present, told Kashmir Despatch, “Last night, when I heard this news, my entire family was in tears. It is deeply saddening. I grew up in this village, and I have many memories tied to it. Hearing this incident breaks my heart. I personally knew this family; whenever I passed through here, I used to visit their home. Now that they are gone, I am in mourning, and it is very difficult for me to control my emotions.”
Sajad Hussain, another local sitting in a corner outside the deceased family’s house, was in tears as he spoke with Kashmir Despatch. He said, “In our grief and mourning, what can we do for this entire community, apart from praying for their forgiveness?”
However, he emphasized that the deceased was working at a hotel in Srinagar and urged the hotel authorities to look after his family, as they are very poor. His father is paralyzed, and his brothers are in a difficult financial situation. “We kindly ask for your help.”
He further appealed to their honorable MLA and the Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla to pay attention to this helpless family during their time of need. May their suffering lessen and may they find solace.
