Dead bodies to be airlifted to home for last rites: Tehsildar Pampore

PAMPORE: After a week-long search operation conducted by the joint team of SDRF, NDRF, Police District Administration, and local volunteers, the two non-local labourers who tragically drowned in the river Jhelum have been recovered from the same spot in the Hatiwara area of Pampore in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday.
The incident, which occurred on May 08 when a boat carrying nine non-local labourers capsized during a river crossing, resulted in two among them going missing. Seven labourers were rescued soon after the incident.
However, with relentless efforts of the joint rescue teams, the bodies of both non-local labourers were retrieved from the river Jhelum. The successful recovery, with one body of Ravi Kumar Prakash, son of Shushil Kumar, found on Monday evening and another Himanshu son of Tika Ram body on Tuesday evening, marks a significant step forward in bringing solace to the affected families.
Speaking to Kashmir Reader, Sonu Kumar, the younger brother of the deceased, said, “My elder brother was returning from work last week when the boat suddenly capsized in Hatiwara, resulting in the deaths of Ravi Prakash and another Himanshu. Since then, the joint team including police and administration, has been continuously searching, and yesterday evening, Ravi Prakash’s body was recovered in the area.”
Kuldeep Kumar, a relative of Ravi Prakash, requested the government for assistance in transporting the deceased’s body to their home.
Neik Ram Sharma, a non-local labourer, said they are from Uttar Pradesh, and two of their relatives drowned while crossing the river Jhelum during the boat incident. Since then, the administration, police, security forces, and locals have provided all possible assistance in searching for them.
“We express our gratitude to them,” Sharma said. “We request assistance from the administration to help transport the dead bodies to our state, and we are very worried about how we will get these dead bodies home. The local media has been very helpful to us, and we express our gratitude to the police officials for their assistance.”
Sharma added, “The police in Awantipora and the Tehsil administration Pampore and other officers provided us with significant help. The people of Kashmir and volunteers have also been very helpful to us. Our request is for assistance in transporting the dead bodies to our home state, and for this, we express our gratitude to the government.”
Tehsildar Pampore, Malik Asif Ahmad, said the dead bodies will be airlifted to their homes tomorrow (Wednesday). “One of the bodies recovered on Monday evening and another recovered on Tuesday evening has undergone medical formalities at PCR Srinagar. After the completion of medical formalities for the second body, arrangements will be made by the administration to airlift both bodies to their respective homes,” he said, adding, “In case, the dead body recovered today does not undergo medical formalities today, it will be airlifted for home on Thursday instead.”

BILAL HABIB