Girl injured in grenade attack succumbs, toll reaches two
Hundreds of mourners attend her last rites
Srinagar: A 19-year-old girl, who was injured in Sunday’s grenade blast at Srinagar’s Amirakadal Chowk, succumbed to injuries on Monday, taking the death toll in the incident to two, officials said.
Rafiya Nazir, a resident of Hazratbal area of the city, succumbed to the injuries at the SMHS Hospital on Monday morning.
“She had suffered injuries on her head and succumbed at around 8 am,” the officials said.
A 70-year-old man from Nowhatta area of the city died on Sunday while 34 others, including a cop, were injured in the blast that took place in the busy marketplace.
Meanwhile, heart-wrenching wails filled the air as hundreds of mourners gathered on Monday for the last rites of the girl.
Inconsolable relatives and friends recalled how the young girl, who had recently passed class 12 examinations with flying colours, wanted to become a doctor.
As the body reached Chakanbagh in Hazratbal locality of the city, hundreds of men and women – old and young alike – who had gathered at her residence erupted in loud cries of mourning.
Her relatives said she had gone out shopping with her mother and sister when the explosion occurred.
“She had received critical injuries and was operated upon. But, she succumbed this morning,” one of relatives said.
He said Rafiya had secured 93 percent marks in Class 12 Board exams results declared last month.
“She was preparing for professional entrance examinations and wanted to become a doctor,” he said, but the dream was shattered and young life cut short by the grenade attack.
The terror attack has widely been condemned by political parties as well as the common people.
Meanwhile, National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah have expressed grief over the death of a 19-year-old girl, and prayed for peace to the departed soul and much needed strength to the bereaved, a party press release said.
Peoples Conference chairman, Sajad Lone also expressed shock over the death of the young girl.
“Heart breaking visuals. Distraught parents, wailing siblings. Life so brutally sniffed out of an innocent young girl. The scourge of violence will eventually visit every household unless WE don’t decide to put an end to it,” Lone tweeted.
