Man swept away while trying to save his child in Pahalgam remains missing; Bandipora teenager dies after being caught in strong currents with his father
Aqzar Raheel
Srinagar, May 31(KNZ/TMJ): For one family, Sunday ended in an anxious search for a missing father. For another, it ended in mourning after the loss of a teenage son.
Two separate drowning incidents in Kashmir on Sunday left one man missing and claimed the life of an 18-year-old student, once again highlighting the dangers posed by fast-flowing rivers and streams across the Valley.
In south Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, a resident of Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, is feared to have drowned after jumping into the Lidder River to save his son.
According to reports, Mir was visiting Pahalgam with his family and was taking photographs near the riverbank in the Langanbal area when his son, Fahad, slipped into the fast-flowing waters. In a desperate attempt to rescue him, Mir immediately jumped into the river but was swept away by the strong current.
Local residents managed to rescue the child, while Mir remained untraced till late Sunday evening. Search and rescue operations involving the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), rafting teams and local authorities were continuing.
In a separate incident in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, an 18-year-old student lost his life after he and his father were swept away by strong currents in an overflowing stream.
The deceased was identified as Obaid Shabir of Nadihal village, a Class 12 student. According to reports, Obaid and his father, Shabir Ahmad Wani, a head constable posted at the District Police Lines Bandipora, were bathing in Nala Sorindar when rising water levels suddenly swept them away.
Following the incident, local residents and SDRF personnel launched a rescue operation and retrieved both from the stream. Obaid was declared dead, while his father sustained serious injuries and was shifted from District Hospital Bandipora to Srinagar for specialised treatment.
Police have initiated legal proceedings in the matter.
The twin tragedies occurred amid increased water discharge in rivers and streams across Kashmir. Authorities have once again urged the public to avoid venturing close to fast-flowing water bodies and to exercise extreme caution near rivers, streams and other vulnerable locations, warning that even a moment of carelessness can have devastating consequences.(KNZ/TMJ)
