Five Feared Dead After Vehicle Rolls into River

SRINAGAR: In a disturbing development, a vehicle JK16-2015, carrying four passengers and a driver, rolled down into the swollen river Shingo, approximately 22 kilometres from Kargil, Friday night. So far the driver’s body was recovered from the mangled car fished out of the fast-flowing river.

The Mahindra Marizo vehicle was moving from Drass to Kargil when the it met with an accident near Kaksar Bridge. The vehicle had been hired by a local contractor who had hired three labourers from Doda and Drass. One of the labourers fell seriously ill, prompting the contractor to head towards Kargil for medical treatment.

As they approached the river Shingo, the force of the monsoon-fed river proved to be too much, causing the vehicle to lose control and plunge into the raging waters. The swift and powerful currents made rescue efforts challenging.

Early Saturday morning, a search operation was launched at the site where the victims’ mobile telephones were last active. Later, rescue teams found a tire of the ill-fated vehicle, further confirming the location of the accident. Tragically, the lifeless body of the driver, identified as Mushtaq Ahmed from Kangan in Ganderbal district, was discovered inside the submerged vehicle.

All four are declared dead though their bodies are yet to be recovered. They have been identified as Shabir Ahmed, hailing from Holiyal, Drass; the contractor; Irshad Ahmed; and two labourers, Abdul Qayoom and Ajaz Qazi, all residents of Doda.

Authorities, including the police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other agencies, have continued their efforts in search and rescue operations to locate the missing individuals. However, the difficult weather conditions and powerful river currents have hampered their progress.

The search operation was launched after the contractor’s family approached authorities claiming their man is missing. It was later that police located the car tyre in the river near Kharmu village. The only body recovered so far has been kept at the district hospital in Kargil.

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