Rescuers lose hope of finding tourists drowned in Neelum river

MUZAFFARABAD: Officials in Neelum valley of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday lost hope of any survivals as none of the eight missing persons could be retrieved from Neelum River despite hectic efforts by the rescuers throughout the day.

“It has been almost 24 hours and we have not been able to fish out even a single missing person. No one can survive in the fast-flowing ice-cold waters of Neelum after a few hours,” said Tahir Mahmood, the deputy commissioner (DC) Neelum.

At about 9:15pm on Sunday night, a Toyota hardtop jeep, carrying 11 tourists from Lahore and three locals, including the driver and his helper, had plunged into Neelum River while negotiating a curve near Phulawai village more than 175km northeast of here.

After the accident, rescuers had found one body and five injured survivors on the steep and stony riverbank who were believed to have been thrown out of their seats before the vehicle dived into the river that flows around 400 feet down the unmetalled narrow road at the accident site.

The deceased was identified as Ghulam Meera, 22, son of Javed Iqbal, and the injured persons were driver Abdul Latif Butt, his helper Ibrahim, 21, Moeen Ahmed, 24, son of Javed Iqbal, Hasnain, 23, son of Shahzad Ahmed and Mohammad Fahad, 31, son of Mohammad Safdar (residents of Ichhra Lahore).

The injured survivors were shifted to CMH Muzaffarabad where their condition was stated to be out of danger.

Syed Imdad Ali, in-charge of the nearby Janawai police post, told Dawn that as the railing on the hardtop of the vehicle was partially visible in the middle of the river on Monday night, they hoped that the bodies would still be trapped inside.

However, when the divers reached near it they found it was just the hardtop and the body of the vehicle as well as the persons sitting inside had been swept away by the violent currents, he added.

He said local divers tried their best to locate the missing persons throughout the day on Monday, but in vain.

Those who were missing were identified as Umair Ahmed, 26, son of Mohammad Safdar; Bilal, son of Sheikh Maqbool; Shahnawaz, son of Sheikh Maqsood; Waleed, son of Ibrar Ahmed; Azhar Ashraf, 27, son of Mohammad Ashraf, Rahim and Raheel, all from Lahore and Ishtiaq, son of Sarfraz, from Neelum valley.

DC Mahmood said a special team of six divers had reached the valley from Muzaffarabad to carry on the search operation on Tuesday.