Srinagar
In a tragic boat capsizing incident, an employee of the tourism department and a participant of rafting championship died and several others were injured when a boat capsized in river ladder in Pahalgam area of Anantnag district on Tuesday.
The championship was named after Rouf Ahmad Dar- a tourist guide lost his life while saving the lives of five tourists in a boat capsizing incident on the evening of May 31, 2019. The braveheart fetched a world appreciation for his courageous act.
Reports said that a boat carrying eight people capsized in fast-flowing Lidder near Pahalgam, resulting in the death of employee identified as Rinku Raja and a female participant Sanjna from Jammu and eight others were injured.
Following the incident, a joint team of SDRF, police and local volunteers began their operation and they were all rescued and subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared Rinku and Sanjna as brought dead.
However, among the eight injured persons, one seriously injured person was referred to Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment and seven of them are being locally treated.
The three-day championship- Rouf Memorial State Rafting Championship began on Monday in which 12 teams from all the three regions of the State are participating.
On Monday, Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Khalid Jahangir flagged-off the championship in presence of Director Tourism Kashmir Nisar Ahmad Wani and Ghulam Rasool Dar- the father of brave heart Rouf Ahmad Dar.
To pay tributes to the brave heart for his selfless services, the Department of Tourism Kashmir in collaboration with White Water Rafting Association of J&K organized the championship on his name.
