Search Intensified For 2 Missing In Chenab River

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar – Search operations have been intensified to trace a man and a woman believed to have drowned in the Chenab River in separate incidents in Doda and Ramban districts of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.

A 21-year-old woman, identified as Payal Devi, allegedly jumped into the river from the Shiva Dal bridge near Prem Nagar in Doda on Saturday afternoon.

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Officials said additional teams of police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with local volunteers, have joined the search operation. Rescue personnel have been conducting searches along the riverbank and downstream stretches, but no breakthrough has been achieved so far.

According to her family, Payal was suffering from anxiety and depression. The circumstances that led to the incident, however, could not be immediately ascertained.

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Her father, Krishan Lal, said she had gone to a mela and later told him over the phone that she was going to consult a doctor, as she was feeling unwell. After reportedly finding the doctor unavailable, she was returning when she allegedly ran towards the river.

Meanwhile, a separate multi-agency search operation is underway in Ramban to trace 20-year-old Ravi Kumar, who slipped into the Chenab at Maitra on September 1.

Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Alyas Khan and Senior Superintendent of Police Arun Gupta visited the site and reviewed the search operation and rescue plan.

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Officials said experts have advised against using boats due to the strong flow of water and associated risks. Specialised rescue equipment and trained personnel are being deployed while following safety protocols.

Following the intervention of the Deputy Commissioner, authorities of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Power Project have restricted the water flow in the river to facilitate the search and rescue operation.

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