In Photos: As J&K Mourns Loss Of Lives, What Led To The Srinagar Boat Tragedy?

Six people, including three children, drowned to death in the Jhelum River after a boat capsized on 16 April.

In Photos: Kashmir Mourns Loss of Lives in Srinagar Boat Tragedy

(Photo: Umer Asif)

At around 8am on Tuesday, 16 April, Firdousa Fayaz (45) left her home along with her twin sons Tahir Fayaz and Mudasir Fayaz (both 7) to drop them off at their school in the Batwara area of Srinagar city, Kashmir.

Firdousa used to accompany her kids to school every day as they had to cross the Jhelum River by boat, and this was the only way of reaching the school that was located on the opposite bank of the river.

The sky was cloudy as it had rained heavily for the last three days in Kashmir.

A good amount of water had accumulated in the boat, recalled Gulzar Ahmad, a resident of Gundbal where the family lives.

Over 15 people boarded the boat which had a capacity of 8-10 people, Ahmad said.

As soon as the boat reached the middle of the river, the rope suddenly snapped, causing the boat to lose control and resulting in the tragic drowning of six individuals, including Firdousa and her two children.

“The boat collided with the iron poles erected for bridge construction of a foot-bridge and split into two,” said Ahmad, an eyewitness

All of Kashmir seemed to be shrouded in sorrow as the news of the tragic accident spread through the valley. Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir suspended campaigning for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the wake of the accident.

Ahmad said that even though hundreds of locals gathered at the embankment of the river, they could not help save the deceased as the river was flowing at a rapid speed.

“We could see kids and women waving their hands while drowning, trying to signal for help amidst the chaos,” Ahmad said.

The district administration of Srinagar rushed to the spot and launched a massive rescue operation with the help of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, and the Indian Army.

The bodies of six persons, including three children, were fished out of the river. The police also recovered four school bags belonging to the deceased kids. Over six people have died while three are still missing.

The rescue operation continued through the night in order to find the missing persons. The government also deployed marine commandos for the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, the locals blamed the incomplete bridge for the tragedy and slammed the authorities for not finishing the construction of the footbridge on time. The bridge would connect the area with the rest of Srinagar city.

“People were forced to resort to boats to cross the river everyday. Had the authorities completed the work on the bridge on time, this incident wouldn't have happened,” said Rayees Lone, a resident of Srinagar.

Sajad Ahmad Naqeeb, the chief engineer in the Roads and Buildings Department, central Kashmir, said that the construction on the bridge has stopped due to lack of funds.

He said that out of three spans, two have been completed already while the third one will be completed in the month of June 2024.

Notably, the Kashmir Valley has been witnessing heavy rainfall over the last four days, due to which the Jhelum River has swollen.

Amid tears and sobs, thousands of people offered funeral prayers for the deceased in Srinagar.

Residents also voiced their discontent over the ongoing smart city project in Srinagar for ignoring the “basic infrastructure” in the city and doing a cosmetic overhaul instead of addressing pressing needs.

“Development isn’t supposed to be out of touch with the reality of everyday life in Kashmir. This incident is a testament to the fact that the smart city project has failed to check the pulse of problems of infrastructure in Srinagar and hasn’t been able to go beyond night bulbs and footpaths,” said Mariya Jaan, a student from Kashmir University.