Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, July 22

A 14-year-old boy and his mother died after being swept away by a swollen stream in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, officials said on Wednesday, as heavy rains pushed up water levels across the region.

Police identified the victims as Aamir Ahmad Khatana and his mother, Gudi Begum, residents of Tangath village in Bonakoot.

The boy’s body was recovered near Guzarbal after residents spotted it being carried downstream in muddy floodwater from the Guzarbal Nallah.

Police reached the site and recovered the body before shifting it to District Hospital Bandipora for medico-legal formalities.

The boy’s mother was subsequently reported missing, prompting police, residents and emergency personnel to launch a search operation.

Her body was later recovered near a power house, officials said.

Bandipora Deputy Commissioner Indu Kanwal Chib described the incident as a “heartbreaking tragedy” and urged residents to stay away from swollen streams and rivers.

She said authorities had received reports of people venturing near water bodies to collect firewood despite warnings issued in view of the continuing rains.

“People should take note of today’s incident and not venture near or into the streams,” Chib said, urging anyone facing shortages of food or other essentials to contact the administration instead of taking risks.

The deaths occurred as several streams across Bandipora recorded a sharp increase in water flow.

The Madhumati and Arin nallahs and other smaller streams were reported to be carrying large volumes of water, with some water breaching embankments and causing concern among residents living nearby.

Authorities have repeatedly appealed to people to avoid rivers, streams and other water bodies during periods of heavy rainfall, warning that rapidly changing water levels can make even apparently shallow waterways dangerous.