Hajin: Two persons including a minor and elderly person drowned along the Jhelum course in Bandipora. While a minor drowned in the river at Zoonipora Asham an elderly drowned few kilometers downstream in Haajin area where performing ablution for prayers.
The body of the minor boy, according to police, was retrieved from the river after an hour with a rescue operation jointly launched by SDRF, police and locals soon after the incident was reported by the locals. The deceased has been identified as Sajad Shabir Shiekh son of Shabir Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of Zonipora. After medico legal formalities the body was handed over to the family
In another freak incident an 80-year-old man drowned to death in river Jhelum in Hajin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district while he was performing ablution on Thursday morning.
According to family sources Ghulam Mohammad son of Abdul Rehman, a resident of Banger-Mohalla area of Hajin left home around 4 am as usual for prayer in the local Jamia situated along the banks of the river.
He slipped into river Jhelum and drowned while he was performing ablution for prayers.
They said that he was regularly performing ablution there at a spot called Pend Aab Bon Banger Mohallah then after going to Jamia Masjid Hajin for prayers.
Soon after the incident, locals and a police party from Hajin police station rushed to the spot and immediately started a rescue operation to retrieve the body. The body was retrieved from the Chringpora Banyari area three kms downstream from the accident spot after some fisherman spotted the body in Jhelum.
A police officer also confirmed to Kashmir Reader that the body of an elderly man has been retrieved and after legal formalities the body has been handed over to his family

GOWHAR MAQBOOL