Bodies recovered after massive rescue op
CM, LG, political leaders express grief
Bandipora: A pall of gloom descended over Hajin town in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday after three young men drowned in the river Jhelum while washing tent equipment near Check Chandergeer area.
The tragic incident triggered scenes of mourning across the locality as hundreds of grief-stricken residents gathered on the riverbanks and outside the residences of the deceased. Family members and relatives were seen wailing inconsolably and beating their chests in grief after the bodies of the trio were recovered from the river.
Officials said the three youths had gone to the banks of the Jhelum to wash tent material and other equipment when they accidentally slipped into the river and drowned.
An official said that soon after the incident, residents, volunteers and rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched a massive rescue operation. Two bodies were retrieved during the initial rescue efforts, while the third body was recovered later after hectic searches.
The deceased were identified as Adil Ahmad Dar (18), son of Bashir Ahmad Dar, Sameer Ahmad Dar (22), son of Mohammad Jamal Dar, and Sohail Ahmad Dar (22), son of Ghulam Nabi Dar — all residents of Chandergeer Hajin.
Eyewitnesses said emotional scenes unfolded on the banks of the river as anxious residents waited for updates during the rescue operation. Several people broke down after the bodies were brought out from the water.
The bodies were later shifted to a nearby hospital for medico-legal formalities before being handed over to their families for the last rites.
The tragic incident has sent shockwaves across the area, with people from different walks of life expressing grief and sympathy with the bereaved families.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed profound grief over the tragic drowning incident. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls.
Abdullah prayed for strength and forbearance to the grieving families during this difficult hour.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a condolence message, said, “I am deeply pained by the loss of precious young lives in an unfortunate drowning incident in Bandipora. My thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family members. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved in this difficult hour.”
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr. Farooq Abdullah in his condolence message conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls. He described the incident as deeply distressing and an irreparable loss to the affected families.
The NC chief urged the administration to provide all possible support and assistance to the grieving families in this hour of immense sorrow.
MLA Sonawari Hilal Akbar Lone visited the spot where the unfortunate incident took place and took on spot assessment of the rescue operations. He also expressed condolences with the bereaved families and prayed for peace to departed souls.
MLA Bandipora, Nizamuddin Bhat expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. He termed the incident extremely painful and heartbreaking, praying for eternal peace to the departed souls and strength to the families to bear this irreparable loss. Bhar also expressed solidarity with the people of Hajin in this hour of grief.