Mother, twin kids, boatman among 6 dead
SUHAIL KHAN
SRINAGAR, April 16: A 35-year-old mother and her two school-going twin sons were among the six people who tragically lost their lives when a boat capsized in the swollen Jhelum river in Srinagar on Tuesday morning.
According to reports, a boat carrying several people was crossing the river from Gandbal to Batwara in the Srinagar district when it capsized. However, thanks to the quick response of the river police and locals, a dozen people were rescued and immediately taken to a nearby hospital.
An official told Kashmir Despatch that there were fifteen people, including schoolchildren, on the boat at the time of the incident. While six people have been rescued, six bodies have been recovered so far. The search is ongoing for three missing individuals.
Those who were rescued were taken to the local Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital. Three of them are currently receiving medical treatment, while the other three have been discharged after receiving first-aid.
Among the missing persons, two have been identified as schoolchildren he added. A health official, providing details about the victims to Kashmir Despatch identified the deceased as Shabir Ahmad, son of Bashir Ahmad of Gandbal; Razia, daughter of Ghulam Mohammad Gojree of Gandbal; Gulzar Ahmad Dar, son of Mohammad Jamal Dar of Gandbal; Firdousa, wife of Fayaz Ahmad Malik of Gandbal; Tanvir Fayaz, son of Fayaz Ahmad of Shivpora; and Mudasir Fayaz, son of Fayaz Ahmad of Shivpora.
The official also identified the rescued individuals as Masrat Begum, wife of Waseem Ahmad Parray of Gandbal; Irshada Bilal, wife of Bilal Ahmad Zargar of Gandbal; Ghulam Nabi Khan of Brain Nishat; Mehraj ul Din Dar, son of Abdul Khaliq Dar of Gandbal; Noor Mohammad alais Bita, son of Abdul Khaliq Gandbal; Aisha, daughter of Bilal Ahmad Zargar of Gandbal; Insha Bilal, daughter of Bilal Ahmad Zargar; Humaira, daughter of Shabir Ahmad Shiekh; Mohammad Rafeeq Bhat, son of Mohammad Yousuf Bhat of Gandbal; and Mushtaq Ahmad Shikeh, son of Ghulam Qadir Shiekh of Gandbal.
The official named the missing persons as Farhan Waseem Parray, son of Imtiyaz Bhat; Hazik Showkat, son of Showkat Ahmad; and Showkat Ahmad Shiekh, son of Abdul Gani.
An eyewitness told Kashmir Despatch that the boat, which was tethered with a rope to a cable for support, was damaged when it hit an iron pillar in the river due to the heavy flow. The impact of the crash led to the capsizing of the boat.
The initial response came from local residents, but they were soon joined by rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force, and the police who were searching for the missing passengers.
Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Bilal Bhat, along with teams from the civil department, visited the scene and closely monitored the situation throughout the day.
DC Srinagar on the spot explained as per Kashmir Despatch Correspondent that the incident occurred at 8 am when an old wooden boat was traveling from Gandbal on one side of the Jhelum toward the other bank of Batwara. He assured that the government is closely monitoring the situation and making efforts to find the missing persons.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
