Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 5

The body of a Srinagar man who was swept away while attempting to save his son from the fast-flowing Lidder River was recovered on Friday, six days after he went missing, ending an extensive multi-agency search operation that had drawn widespread public attention across Kashmir.

Muhammad Ashraf Mir, 42, of Jawahar Nagar in Srinagar, disappeared on Sunday after jumping into the river near Langanbal, around 8 km downstream of Pahalgam, where his son had slipped into the water during a family outing, officials said.

While the boy survived the incident, Mir was carried away by strong currents and could not be traced despite continuous search efforts involving multiple rescue agencies and volunteers.

Officials said the body was spotted on Friday evening in the Aamad area of the Lidder River, around 15 km downstream from the location where he had entered the water.

 “As the rescue team was preparing to conclude the day’s operation, the body was sighted in the river,” an official associated with the search operation said.

The body was retrieved and shifted for medico-legal formalities before being handed over to family members for burial.

The recovery brought an emotional end to a six-day search operation that involved personnel from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Civil Defence, police, the Army, MARCOS commandos and local volunteers.

Authorities said specialist divers and rescue personnel had searched multiple stretches of the river over the past week, battling strong currents and difficult terrain in an effort to locate Mir.

Among those assisting the operation was noted deep diver Hamza Sheikh from Doda district, who joined local rescue teams in the search effort.

Family members and residents had gathered at various points along the river during the search, hoping for news of the missing man.

Relatives described Mir as a devoted father who had instinctively jumped into the river in an attempt to save his son.

“We could not bring him back alive, but at least we can bury him according to our religious beliefs in our own graveyard,” a relative present at the search site said after the recovery. “That gives the family some relief.”

According to family members, Mir worked as an air-conditioner mechanic and was the sole breadwinner of a household that included his wife, two sons and elderly parents.

The incident has once again drawn attention to a series of drowning accidents reported across Kashmir in recent weeks as rivers, streams and canals continue to run high following seasonal snowmelt and rising temperatures.

Officials and local reports indicate that at least 11 people have died in water-related incidents across the Valley during the past two months.

Among the recent victims was 18-year-old Obair Shabir from Bandipora district, who drowned after he and his father were swept away by a sudden surge in Nala Sorinder while bathing.

His father survived the incident and is currently undergoing treatment at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar, officials said.

In another incident, a three-year-old child died after falling into a canal in Tangmarg, while a Srinagar resident drowned in Nigeen Lake earlier this week.

Authorities have repeatedly urged residents and visitors to exercise caution around rivers and water bodies, particularly during the summer months when water levels rise because of accelerated snowmelt in upper reaches.

The Lidder River, one of Kashmir’s major mountain rivers and a popular attraction for tourists visiting Pahalgam, has witnessed several drowning incidents over the years despite repeated warnings from authorities.

Friday’s recovery ended days of uncertainty for Mir’s family but also added another name to a growing list of water-related fatalities that have raised concerns among residents and disaster management officials across the Valley.