Boat capsize tragedy: Search on to trace 3 still missing, govt provides ex-gratia to victims' families
TNN Bureau. Updated: 4/18/2024 1:35:30 AM
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Srinagar: The rescue operation to trace three missing people, including two children, after a boat capsized in Srinagar, entered its second day on Wednesday.
On Tuesday morning, at about 8 am a boat capsized in the river Jhelum on Srinagar outskirts, leading to the deaths of six people, including two school-going twins, Tahir Fayaz and Mudasir Fayaz, and their 40-year-old mother, Firdousa Fayaz.
A man and two minors, one of them his son, are still missing.
Officials said the search operation continued on the second day, and multiple teams from various agencies were involved to trace the three.
"The rescue operation is still underway," the commandant of the State Disaster Response Force, Atul Sharma told UNI.
He said four teams of SDRF are engaged in the search operation that continued during the night.
The Army's elite Marine Commandos (MARCOS) are also part of the search operation.
The boat tragedy sparked a row in Kashmir, with political parties hitting the J&K government for delaying the construction of the GandbalBatwara footbridge in the area.
The government said on Tuesday evening that the work on the bridge is going on and will be completed by June 30.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, directed the road and buildings last evening to strictly adhere to the deadline for the completion of the bridge.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government provided an ex-gratia relief of Rs five lakh each to the next of kin of the victims of the boat capsize tragedy.
Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, V K Bhiduri and Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Bilal Mohiuddin visited Gandbal and met the families of the victims who drowned in the Jhelum river on Tuesday, an official spokesman said.
He said the officials consoled the loss the life and provided an ex-gratia of Rs five Lakh to the next of kin of each deceased.
Six persons drowned in the river while three others are still missing after a boat carrying 19 persons capsized. Ten people were rescued.