SRINAGAR: As temperatures rise across Jammu and Kashmir during the summer months, rivers, streams and other water bodies increasingly become places of recreation for young people seeking relief from the heat. However, the season also witnesses a recurring pattern of drownings and water-related accidents, with several such incidents reported from different parts of the Union Territory on Sunday.
A 15-year-old boy drowned while bathing in the Doodhganga River in the Manchowa area of Budgam district.
Officials said the boy had gone to the river along with two other boys when he reportedly slipped into deeper waters and disappeared. Preliminary reports suggested that he did not know how to swim.
The deceased was identified as Aabid Hussain, a resident of Gool Gulab Garh.
Soon after the incident, local residents, police personnel and rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched a search operation. Rescue efforts were continuing when reports last came in.
In another incident, two girls were swept away by strong currents in the Suran River in Surankote area of Poonch district but were rescued in time.
Officials said the girls were carried away by the river current before being rescued a short distance downstream by police personnel, local residents and a health team from the Government Sub-District Hospital, Surankote.
The rescued girls were identified as Ifra Kouser, daughter of Tariq, and Samina Akhter, daughter of Lal Hussain, both residents of Chandimarh.
They were shifted to the Sub-District Hospital, Surankote, for treatment.
Block Medical Officer Surankote, Dr. Mohd Yousaf Choudhary, confirmed the incident and said both girls were stable.
Meanwhile, two persons lost their lives after their vehicle plunged into the River Jhelum in Uri area of Baramulla district.
Officials said an Alto K10 car bearing registration number JK05Q-4298 skidded off the road and fell into the river on Sunday.
Syed Imtiyaz Hussain, 25, son of Syed Ahmad Shah and a resident of Banjra, Uri, died on the spot. His body was later retrieved from the river.
His father, Syed Ahmad Shah, 68, a retired Sub-Inspector of Police, was rescued from the river and shifted to Sub-District Hospital Uri, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Police and local residents immediately launched rescue operations following the accident. The exact circumstances leading to the vehicle’s plunge into the river were being investigated.
The incidents have once again highlighted the dangers associated with Kashmir’s rivers and streams during the summer season. Every year, several drowning cases are reported as children and young people flock to water bodies to escape soaring temperatures. Authorities have repeatedly advised people, particularly youngsters, to avoid venturing into deep waters and to exercise caution near rivers and streams, where strong currents and sudden changes in depth can prove fatal.
