Picnic turns tragic in B’la : Two more bodies recovered from power canal

Baramulla, July 14: Two more bodies were recovered on Monday from the Gantamulla Power Canal in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, concluding a 36 hour long massive search operation launched after a tragic drowning incident on Sunday. The death toll in the incident has risen to three.The bodies of Ahmad Bin Khalid, 12, son of Khalid Mehraj Shah of Hyderpora Srinagar, and Mehnaz Rashid Shah, 40, son of Abdul Rashid Shah of Khanyar Srinagar, were recovered today by teams from SDRF Baramulla and Civil Defence Uri from the NHPC canal stretch near Boniyar.The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when four members of a Srinagar-based family were swept away while bathing in the reservoir of the Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Project (LJHP) during a family picnic. According to officials, the tragedy began when two children slipped into the canal, prompting two adults to jump in to save them. All four were caught in the strong current.In the initial stage of the incident, locals managed to retrieve two persons: one dead and one alive. The deceased was identified as Ibrahim Bin Showkat, 13, son of Showkat Ali Shah of Narkara, Budgam. The rescued individual was Syed Mohammad Ilyas Geelani, 31, son of Mufti Abdul Rahim Geelani of Towheedgunj, Baramulla. He was shifted to PHC Sheeri and is reported to be in stable condition.Following the incident, a large-scale rescue operation was launched involving SDRF Baramulla, Civil Defence Uri, J&K Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and local volunteers. The search continued overnight and into the next day.SDRF spokesman told Rising Kashmir that both remaining bodies were recovered on Monday.The Gantamulla canal, which is fed by the Jhelum River and forms a key part of a hydroelectric project, has a strong and unpredictable current, particularly during the monsoon season. The incident has once again raised concerns over the absence of safety measures around such water bodies.Local residents have urged authorities to install proper fencing, warning signage, and launch awareness campaigns to prevent such tragedies in the future.Authorities have also appealed to the public to exercise extreme caution while visiting water bodies, especially during high-flow seasons, and assured that all available rescue resources had been deployed in this operation.