On Tuesday, rescuers embarked on an urgent mission to locate 3 missing individuals following a tragic incident in Kashmir, where a boat carrying atleast 15 passengers capsized in a river. Officials confirmed that six people lost their lives in the accidents.
Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, a civil administrator, disclosed that many of the passengers were children and six people were rescued.
The capsizing occurred in the Jhelum River, situated in Srinagar, the main city in the region. According to reports, a rope that guided the boat across the river snapped under the force of the swiftly flowing water, leading to the vessel overturning. The recent heavy rainfall in the area contributed to elevated water levels in the river.
Eyewitness Firdous Ahmed Lone heard people’s cries and rushed over to save them. “I pulled out four of them from the river, but they were already dead,” Lone said.
Boating accidents are too common in India, often attributable to overcrowded vessels and insufficient safety measures. In a tragic incident last year, 22 individuals lost their lives when a double-decker boat, carrying over 30 passengers, capsized near a beach in Kerala state, located in southern India.
Similarly, in May 2018, a devastating accident claimed the lives of 30 people when their boat capsized on the Godavari River in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. These incidents underscore the urgent need for enhanced safety regulations and enforcement measures to prevent further tragedies.
