Amid sobs, thousands attend funeral prayers of victims in Srinagar

Srinagar, Apr16: Amidst tears and somber farewells, thousands gathered to bid adieu to six individuals who tragically lost their lives in a boat capsizing incident in the Gandabal area of central Kashmir’s Srinagar on Tuesday morning.
The joint funeral prayers were offered for five victims, including a woman, her two sons, and two other locals. Led by a local Imam, the prayers drew mourners from various parts of Kashmir, their eyes heavy with grief.
The incident occurred at 8 a.m. as school children and villagers from Gadabal were crossing the swollen river Jhelum in a boat. Recent incessant rains had raised the water level, exacerbating the peril.
A pall of sorrow blanketed the Batwara locality following the tragedy, with locals attributing the incident to the absence of a bridge in the area.
GhulamNabiHanji, a resident, expressed shock, stating, “We lost many today due to the absence of a concrete bridge in the locality, and this pain and loss cannot be explained in words.” He added that the entire village had rallied to support the grieving families throughout the day.
Kamal Khan echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the urgent need for infrastructure development. “This tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a bridge. Without it, we remain vulnerable to such heart-wrenching losses,” he lamented.
“Our leaders promise progress, but where is it when our villages still lack the most fundamental necessities? This is not just a failure of governance; it is a betrayal of trust,” Khan added.
Ali Mohammad Hanji demanded accountability from the government, asserting, “The government should punish those who caused the delay in building the bridge. That is the only way we can stop tragedies like this from happening again.”
Meanwhile, authorities, including the Jammu and Kashmir Police and SDRF teams, continued search operations, recovering school bags belonging to the victims from the river Jhelum at ChattabalVeir.
The tragic incident, claiming six lives, has plunged the entire valley into mourning, with the search operation ongoing.