Srinagar, Jan 13: The search operation by Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) continued for the third consecutive day on Tuesday in the Jhelum river at Gandbal, Srinagar, to trace the remains of Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, one of the victims of the 2024 Gandbal boat tragedy.
Officials said that the elite divers of MARCOS, assisted by the SDRF’s Quick Response Team (QRT), resumed underwater scanning early Monday morning despite cold and low water visibility.
“We are combing every section of the stretch where the suspected remains were spotted. The operation will continue until further directions,” an SDRF officer said.
The renewed operation follows the recovery of what appeared to be “human remains” on Sunday near the same riverbank where eight lives were lost when a boat ferrying schoolchildren and locals capsized on April 16, 2024.
Locals, still haunted by the tragedy, have been gathering at the site since the weekend. “We have lived with unanswered questions for two years,” said Zainab, a lady from the area. “If they find even a part of him, at least we will have something to pray over.”
Officials said the recovered remains have been sent for forensic examination to establish their origin and possible identification.
The operation, involving sonar-assisted scanning and manual dredging by MARCOS divers, continued late into the evening.
Meanwhile, the Gandbal boat tragedy, which claimed eight lives, including children, remains one of the deadliest incidents in Srinagar’s recent memory. Despite massive rescue operations by SDRF, NDRF and MARCOS in 2024, Showkat’s body was never found—(KNO)
