Teenage boy drowns in Jhelum near Lasjan

Srinagar, Jul 4: A 13-year-old boy drowned in the River Jhelum near the Lasjan area of Srinagar on Saturday, triggering a search operation by rescue teams, officials said.
They said the search operation continued till late Saturday evening but was suspended due to poor visibility. The operation will resume with the first light on Sunday.
An official said that the boy was bathing in the river when he accidentally slipped into deep waters and drowned.
Soon after the incident, teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), assisted by police, launched an extensive search operation. Despite several hours of effort, rescue personnel were unable to trace the boy.
The victim was identified as Lukman Javed Malik (13), son of Javed Ahmad Malik, a resident of Lasjan, Srinagar.
Meanwhile, anxious locals, who remained gathered along the riverbank throughout the operation, urged the authorities to deploy additional rescue boats and equipment, saying more resources were needed to expedite the search and recovery operation.
Police have taken cognisance of the incident, while the SDRF and other rescue agencies are expected to resume the search operation early Sunday morning. (KNO)