Baramulla: A 13-year-old boy drowned to death while two others are feared dead after they slipped into a canal in Baramulla district, north Kashmir, on Sunday, officials said.
The incident occurred in the Gantmulla area when four members of a family — two adults and two teenagers — started drowning after one of them accidentally slipped into the canal of the Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Project, they said.
The remaining three jumped in to save the person but were also swept away by the fast-moving water.
“It all started when one of them leaned in to wash his hands and lost balance. As he screamed, the others rushed in to rescue, but the strong current was too much,” said a local resident present at the scene.
The body of Ibrahim Bin Showkat, 13, son of Showkat Ali Shah, a resident of Narkara, Budgam, was recovered, while Mohammad Ilyas Geelani, 31, son of Mufti Abdul Rahim Geelani of Tawheed Gunj Baramulla was rescued. Geelani was rescued by locals near the Mulberry nursery area of Zehanpora and shifted to PHC Sheeri, where doctors stated his condition to be stable.
The two persons still missing are Mehnaz Rashid Shah, 40, son of Abdul Rashid Shah of Khanyar, Srinagar, and Ahmad Bin Khalid, 13, son of Khalid Mehraj Shah of Hyderpora, Srinagar,
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel were rushed to the spot and a search operation is underway for the two missing persons, they added.
The family from Srinagar had gone to Gantmulla for an outing, officials said.
Local residents and civil society groups have urged authorities to install safety fences, warning signs and safety measures along the canal to prevent such tragedies in the future.
