Srinagar, Jan 19: After 22 months of relentless hope, grief and prayers, the last missing victim of the 2024 Gandbal boat tragedy, Showkat Ahmad Sheikh was finally recovered from the Jhelum River.
The young men, who have worked along the river for years, recounted the moment with deep emotion. “When we brought the body ashore, it was like a rose lying in the water,” said one sand excavator.
Speaking to the media, the rescuers said, “We felt like the body of Showkat was untouched by a storm. We returned the body like a lost child to his parents.”
“The river had taken so much from us,” another excavator said in his trembled voice. “But today, Allah returned him. For 22 months, the village prayed, hoped and waited. And today, we finally have closure.”
As the news spread, Gandbal was awash with grief. Villagers, relatives and volunteers gathered along the riverbanks and through the streets. Women wept openly, men bowed their heads in silent sorrow and children clung to their parents. Tears streamed freely as prayers mingled with the cold January air.
“For all these months, I kept assuring myself that he will come back to us,” said a Gandbal resident.
Another villager added, “For nearly two years, the river has been silent. Today, it has given us a voice again. We can mourn, we can heal.”—(KNO)
