KOTLI (Kashmir English): A tragic incident occurred in the Tatta Pani area of District Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), where a teenage student drowned while bathing in the Poonch River on Tuesday evening.
According to initial reports, the student was bathing near the Tatta Pani Rest House around 6:00 pm when the incident took place. Despite efforts by those nearby, the swift currents of the Poonch River made it impossible to rescue him in time.
The victim has been identified as Hafiz Saeem Mehmood, son of Mehmood Hussain. He was just 14 years old and hailed from Jona Charhoi. Saeem was a student at the religious seminary attached to the Jamia Masjid in Tatta Pani, where he was pursuing his studies in Islamic education.
It is reported that the boy had gone to bathe in the Poonch River, as many locals occasionally do, when he suddenly disappeared beneath the water. The alarm was raised immediately, and Rescue 1122’s water search team arrived on the scene shortly after being informed. They promptly initiated a search operation to recover the body.
Despite continuous efforts by the rescue team, the body of the drowned student had not been recovered by the time the operation was suspended late at night due to poor visibility and safety concerns. The rescue personnel declared plans to restart their search efforts early the next morning to find the missing boy.
People from the local area continue to endure overwhelming sadness from the passing of their young student. The area residents filled the rescue operations by praying for his recovery and providing their aid to rescue personnel. They worry about young students’ safety while visiting riverbanks after this incident because the area lacks proper protection and safety systems.
Public authorities strongly request everyone, but particularly children and students, to stay extremely guarded near water features like the Poonch River throughout the hazardous river flow period of this season.
People in the community wait for dawn to begin the renewed rescue efforts in the Poonch River while they maintain the hope for closure in this devastating incident.
