Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Apr 27: The lifeless body of the second missing minor boy of Gandbal was found from River Jhelum near Noorbagh, Srinagar, on Saturday morning.
With the recovery of the body of Farhan Parray, the death toll in the Gandbal tragedy rises to eight, while one person – the father of little Hazik whose body was found on Friday from Jhelum near Rajbagh – remains missing.
The locals from Gandbal said that the body of Farhan was sighted by some residents of Noorbagh, floating near the bridge. Acting swiftly, they retrieved the body and handed it over to the police. Later, it was confirmed that the deceased was Farhaan Waseem (12), son of Waseem Ahmad Parray, a resident of Gandbal, who had gone missing after a boat capsized incident at Gandbal on April 16. In that incident, six people lost their lives, and three went missing.
Despite heavy rains and the sorrowful cries of grieving women, Farhan’s body was laid to rest amid heavy hearts.
Eyewitnesses from Gandbal recount the heart-wrenching scene of Farhan’s mother bidding a tearful farewell to her son, with half of her body leaning out of the window, holding a scarf in one hand, as she cried out for her beloved.
People, wearing rain courts, were seen heading to the graveyard, holding umbrellas in their hands as little Farhan was buried amid heavy rains.
As the people mourn the loss of Farhan, they hold onto hope for the retrieval of the last missing person, Showkat Ahmad. Despite the continued search efforts, Showkat’s body remains untraced, leaving the community anxiously waiting for closure to the Gandbal tragedy.
