Six people drown in North Kashmir, villagers protest

Baramulla, July 12 (UNI) Six people drowned in river Jhelum when two boats collided and capsized last evening, official sources said today.

Meanwhile, hundreds of villagers of Ladoora today took to streets and blocked the Baramulla-Kupwara road in protest against the incident.

Army, fire service and police personnel have launched a massive operation to fish out the bodies, official sources said.

They said a boat carrying about 14 people across the river Jehlum capsized in the middle at Ladoora, falling under the jurisdiction of police station Sopore in this district of north Kashmir.

However, eight of them swam to safety and later informed the villagers and police.

Sources said so far only two bodies have been fished out from the river.

Sources quoting those who survived said because of darkness their boat collided with another boat left in the river by flood control department and capsized.

They said they were returning from their land after day-long work which is in the middle of the river when the tragedy occurred.

All the deceased persons belong to village Ladoora, they said.

Trained divers from 5 Sector of Rashtriya Rifles, state police and fire service personnel were searching the bodies of the remaining four people.

The villagers alleged that government had failed to reconstruct the wooden bridge which connects Ladoora village with the 3000 kanals of land they owned in the middle of the river. The bridge was damaged about 20 years ago, the villagers, raising anti-government slogans said.

We have to use boats to reach our land, they said and demanded construction of the bridge to avoid such tragedies in future.

UNI