Four feared drowned in Chenab river yet to be traced

Bhaderwah/Jammu: Search operations were underway on Wednesday to trace four people feared drowned in Chenab after their car plunged into the river in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police official said.

The operation was launched at Shibnote-Karara along Batote-Kishtwar national highway following the accident around 7.30 pm Tuesday but so far neither the vehicle nor its occupants have been found, Senior Superintendent of Police, Doda, Abdul Qayoom said.

Qayoom and Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Vishesh Paul Mahajan are supervising the operation which is being jointly carried out by police, army and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

River rafting experts from JK Adventures and specially trained local volunteers are also part of the rescue-cum-search operation, police officials said, adding after a night halt, the rescue operation resumed with the first light of the day.

They said the district administration has also requested the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) to close down the dams so that the water flow in the river is lowered to speed up the operation.

"We responded immediately after the vehicle plunged into the river but the strong current at the scene of the accident proved an obstacle in carrying out the rescue operation," founder and chief executive officer of JK Adventures Sachin Singh Samyal said.

He said the adventure sports body had deployed its expert divers at the scene to help in locating the missing persons.

Rohan Mangotra, Aditya Kotwal, Surjeet Singh and Vishal Chandel, all residents of Doda, were travelling to Kishtwar when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into the river.