Two years after Gundbal boat tragedy, body of last victim found

Srinagar: The body of Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, one of the victims of the 2024 Gandbal boat tragedy, was recovered from the Jhelum river on Monday, ending the prolonged search operation, officials and locals said.

Sheikh had remained missing since the incident, which claimed eight lives, including children, in one of the deadliest recent accidents in Srinagar.

Elite divers from MARCOS and the Quick Response Team (QRT) of the State Disaster Response Force had earlier conducted extensive underwater searches, but the body was not located during those operations.

It was eventually retrieved by residents from a stretch of the river near the site of the accident, they said.

Authorities said the recovery marks the conclusion of efforts to trace all missing persons from the Gandbal tragedy. (KNS).