Srinagar : A pall of gloom descended on Kashmir Valley as the news of the boat tragedy in Srinagar’s Batwara, in which six people including a 35-year-old woman and her two school-going twin sons died, started pouring in.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr. Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, here told GNS that 15 people were travelling in the boat, and out of them, seven were minors and the rest were adults.
Official sources said soon after the news, a massive rescue operation was launched by SDRF, NDRF, local police besides locals.
Immediately, 11 people were found and were shifted to hospital. However six of them were declared dead on arrival while 5 others have been admitted and most were discharged later.
They said massive searches are underway to find three other missing students.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, IGP Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar and SSP Srinagar rushed to Gandbal Batwara and monitored the rescue operations for long time.
The deceased have been identified as Shabir Ahmad Bhat, Razia Jan, Gulzar Ahmad, Firdousa Begum, Tanvir Fayaz, Mudasir Fayaz while those rescued and subsequently hospitalised include Masrat Begum, Irshada Bilal, Ghulam Nabi Khan, Mehraj ud Din Dar, Noor Mohammad, Aisha Jan, Insha Bilal, Humaira Shabir, Mohammad Rafiq Bhat and Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh.
Those missing include Farhan Waseem, Haziq Showkat and Showkat Ahmad Sheikh.
As learnt by GNS, four boats of SDRF, two boats of River police, one each of F&ES, NDRF, four Marcos divers and two SDRF divers are part of the rescue operation.
