Srinagar, Jan 19: Nearly two years after a tragic boat capsize in the Jhelum river, the long search for the last victim ended on Monday when locals recovered the body of Showkat Ahmad Sheikh near Srinagar’s Lasjan.
This followed a grim breakthrough last week, when Sheikh’s severed foot was found during sand mining and later identified by his widow.
Officials said the search operation was intensified immediately after the identification of the foot, which the widow recognised by the shoe.
The incident had occurred on April 16, 2024, when a boat carrying more than a dozen people overturned in the river at Gandbal, near Lasjan. While nine people drowned in the accident, five others were rescued on the day of the tragedy.
Among the deceased, six bodies were retrieved on the day of the accident, and two others were found shortly after during a joint search by the police and the Navy’s Marine Commandos.
Sheikh, however, had remained untraced for nearly 21 months despite extensive efforts by the authorities and local volunteers.
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