Bandipora, July 18: The body of a 10-year-old boy, who had gone missing after being swept away by the strong currents of the Kishanganga River in Gurez Valley earlier this month, was recovered on Saturday, bringing to an end a 12-day-long search operation.
The deceased has been identified as Babar Bashir, a resident of the Tulail area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Babar was swept away by the river while taking a bath near Sheikhpora in Tulail on July 6. Since then, police, SDRF personnel, civil administration officials and local volunteers had been carrying out an extensive search operation along the river in an effort to trace the missing child.
Officials said the body was spotted near the dam site in the Kanzalwan area on Saturday afternoon. Acting swiftly, police and rescue teams reached the spot and retrieved the body from the river.
The body has been shifted to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Dawar for medico-legal formalities. After completion of the legal procedures, it will be handed over to the bereaved family for the last rites.
The tragic incident had triggered widespread concern across Gurez, with residents and volunteers joining the search efforts over the past several days. [KNT]
