Ganderbal, April 06: A wave of sorrow swept through the Haknar-Gund area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Sunday after the body of a young girl, reported missing a day earlier, was found in the power canal near Forbay-Fraw.
The girl’s sudden disappearance on Saturday sparked panic among her family, who launched an urgent search. When efforts to locate her proved unsuccessful, a missing person’s report was filed at the Gund Police Station.
In response, a joint search operation was swiftly launched by the police, SDRF Gund, and local volunteers. Sadly, the search ended in tragedy with the recovery of her body from the canal. The deceased was immediately shifted to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Kangan for a post-mortem examination. Following all legal formalities, her remains were handed over to the grieving family.
Senior police officials, including SDPO Kangan and SHO Gund, visited the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Gund as part of the ongoing investigation.
This devastating incident comes on the heels of another drowning just two days ago in the same canal. Javed Ahmad Khan, a resident of Haknar Gund, also lost his life in similar circumstances, sparking renewed concerns over safety in the area.
Locals are now urgently appealing to authorities to install protective fencing along both sides of the power canal—from Kulan to Sumbal—to prevent further tragedies. With two lives lost in a span of days, the community is reeling, and pressure is mounting on officials to act swiftly.
Meanwhile, police have launched a comprehensive investigation into both deaths to determine the exact sequence of events and whether any negligence contributed to the tragedies.