by Sheikh Hilal
SHOPIAN: Grief and disbelief swept through Shopian today as the bodies of two young men who lost their lives in a devastating road accident at Qazigund were brought home for their final rites. The town plunged into mourning, markets shut down, and hundreds gathered to pay their last respects, struggling to come to terms with a tragedy that unfolded in an instant.
On the night of April 1, at around 8 pm, the group of five friends was returning from Digdol after helping a fellow trucker when their Hector vehicle (JK01 AL 0707) lost control near the Nowyug Tunnel. The car skidded off the road and crashed into a divider before slamming into a police bunker. What was meant to be an act of brotherhood—a late-night rescue mission for a friend in distress—turned into an irreversible nightmare.
The impact was brutal. Zubair Ahmad Wani, a skilled mechanic from Heerpora, Shopian, died on the spot. Married recently, he was expecting to see his firstborn soon. Mushtaq Ahmad Dalal, a salesman from Bongam, Shopian, initially survived but succumbed to his injuries later in the hospital. Dalal, a devoted father, leaves behind two children—a daughter in 10th class and a son in 12th class—who now face a future without him.
The three others in the car sustained grave injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Qazigund before being shifted to SKIMS in Srinagar. Irshad Ahmad Mir and Umar Bashir Najar, both residents of Bongam, remain in critical condition, battling for their lives. SPO Showkat Ahmad, who was also injured in the accident, is said to be in a serious state.
The tragedy has sent shockwaves through Shopian, where the victims were known for their friendships and humble livelihoods. The accident was not a reckless drive or a miscalculated adventure—it was a mission to help. The journey began when a trucker, stranded near Digdol due to a mechanical fault, reached out for help. His friend, Rahil Ahmad Khan, the owner of the truck, immediately rallied support. Two truck drivers, a shopkeeper, and the truck owner decided to take along a trusted mechanic, Zubair Ahmad Wani, from Heerpora. They made the journey to Digdol, repaired the vehicle, and parted ways. Rahil Ahmad Khan stayed back and decided to travel with the truck while the rest of the group started their return trip towards Shopian. They drove in his ill-fated car.
Somewhere along that winding highway, fate intervened. The car, as the CCTV footage showed, failed to control the bends after exiting from the straight line drive of the tunnel and crashed with the divider. It was very fast, and the footage does not actually help locate the vehicle as it crashed. The only thing visible is the number of people rushing towards the spot as the smoke billows from a distance. The very truck they had come to fix was eventually driven back safely to Shopian, but the rescuers never made it home.
As the bodies of Wani and Dalal arrived in Shopian on the afternoon of April 2, an ocean of mourners gathered to bid them farewell. The shopkeepers of the town pulled down their shutters, and the streets filled with grieving relatives, friends, and townspeople, all struggling to process the cruel twist of fate. The funeral prayers echoed across the town as teary-eyed children clung to Dalal’s coffin, their father stolen from them in an instant. Wani was mourned by his devastated parents, siblings and an expecting wife.
Adding to the town’s anguish is the harrowing realisation that the Nowyug Tunnel has become a site of repeated tragedies. Just last week, the tunnel witnessed another accident in which an SRTC bus overturned, leaving 17 passengers injured. The frequency of accidents has raised concerns, with many demanding improved road safety measures in the region.
As the families of the deceased grapple with their immeasurable loss, prayers continue for the survivors still fighting for their lives. What remains is the lingering pain of a tragedy that could have been avoided and the heavy silence of a town left in mourning.
