Srinagar/Jammu, June 15 (IANS) Three people drowned in two separate incidents in J&K’s Ganderbal & Jammu districts on Monday, officials said.

Two persons went missing in a power canal near the Ramwari area of Gund in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, prompting authorities to launch a large-scale search and rescue operation on Monday, officials said.

Police said that the information was received about two persons falling into the power canal at Gund-21 near Ramwari, following which rescue teams were immediately mobilised.

Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, and local volunteers from Gund and Ganderbal launched an extensive search operation in the canal and adjoining areas to trace the missing persons, they said.

The operation is continuing as teams of rescuers are combing the canal stretch amid challenging conditions.

Senior officials are monitoring the situation, while locals have also joined the rescue efforts.

In another incident, a teen is feared dead after he slipped into the Tawi River in Jammu.

Reports said an outing turned into a tragedy in Jammu after a 15-year-old student slipped into the River Tawi while taking a selfie near the Har Ki Pauri area, triggering a massive search operation by rescue agencies.

The teenager has been identified as Yudhvir Singh Chib, son of Puran Singh, a resident of the Kuljivini area of Jammu.

According to reports, Yudhvir had gone to the riverbank along with his friends when the incident occurred. While attempting to take a selfie near the river, he reportedly lost balance and slipped into the fast-flowing waters.

The sudden incident left his companions shocked, who immediately raised an alarm and informed local authorities. Soon after receiving information, teams of the SDRF, police personnel and local volunteers rushed to the spot and launched an extensive search operation to trace the missing boy.

Officials said rescuers were combing the river stretch and adjoining areas, but the teenager remained untraced so far. Authorities said efforts to retrieve the body were continuing, and further details would be known once the operation concludes.

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a deeply concerning spike in drowning incidents, with multiple fatal accidents reported across the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu division.

The tragedies frequently occur as swollen rivers, streams, and canals turn deadly, often claiming lives during leisure outings, accidental slips, or while attempting rescues.

Recent notable drowning incidents across the region include one in Rajouri district when a picnic at the Khorinar Waterfall (Darhal) resulted in one death and two cases of hypothermia. The victim, identified as Mohd Marouf from Hariban, slipped into deep water while two others were rescued. In the Shopian district, a man drowned in the Reshnagri Nallah.

In Bandipora & Pahalgam, multiple casualties were reported in a single weekend. In Bandipora, a teen, Obaid Shabbir, drowned in the Surendra reservoir, while a 42-year-old man in Pahalgam was washed away in the Lidder drain after his son fell into the water.

Authorities continue to urge residents and tourists to exercise extreme caution, especially given the fast-moving water currents caused by rising temperatures and melting snow.

District administrations have repeatedly issued advisories and complete bans on bathing or swimming in certain vulnerable streams and power canals.

–IANS

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