Thursday, May 16

6 Dead, Over 10 Missing After Boat Capsizes In Jhelum River Near Srinagar

Edited by Fazal Rahman Chembulangad
6 Dead, Over 10 Missing After Boat Capsizes In Jhelum River Near Srinagar

Six persons died and several went missing after a boat capsized in the Jhelum River in Srinagar’s Gandbal area on Tuesday. A team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been conducting rescue operations in the area. The boat was reportedly carrying school children and local passengers.

There were over 20 people in the boat and most of them were children, and the state rescue team which is in operation has rescued over 10 passengers, as per reports. Ten others are still missing and the search is going on to find them. Top administrative officials and police officers are on the spot supervising the rescue efforts.

According to reports, heavy rain with the damaged drainage system caused waterlogging of the major roads on Monday. Reports quoted commuters as saying that as the dug-up roads dotted with massive potholes were covered with rainwater, it became difficult for them to travel through the city.

Over the past few days, heavy rain has caused a rise in the water levels of the Jhelum River. The increased water level in the river is learnt to be the reason for the boat’s overturn.

Many leaders including the PDP chief and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti expressed their shock over the tragic incident. “My deepest condolences to their families & I urge the administration to extend all help possible,” Mehbooba Mufti wrote in her X handle.

In a post on his official X handle, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed his grief and stated that the administration is providing all the possible help. “Administration is providing all possible help to the bereaved families who have lost their near and dear ones and medical facilities to those who have been injured. Marcos teams have also been alerted. I am constantly monitoring the situation and guiding the team on the ground,” Mr Sinha wrote.