Two Kashmiri youths, 1 local girl die drowning in khads

In two separate incidents, 3 people including two Kashmiri youths and a local girl died due to drowning while bathing in the ravines (khad) during the past 24 hours in Kangra district.

In the first incident, two youths from Jammu and Kashmir died due to drowning while bathing in Baner Khad in Gram Panchayat Gahlian near Ranital, the local police officials said.

They had been identified as Rajendra Kumar (36) and Ashok Kumar (21), residents of Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir. They used to work as wood cutters and lived in a rented house in Gahlian.

Yesterday, they went to wash clothes in the ravine with two other friends and later went into the water to take a bath. While bathing, they moved towards deep water and drowned on the spot. When they did not return for a long time, their other two companions started looking for them only to find their clothes and mobiles lying on the banks of Baner Khad. Subsequently, they raised an alarm and local people including the Panchayat Pradhan and Deputy Pradhan reached the spot. With their help, divers retrieved the bodies.

Local police reached the spot and took the bodies in their custody and sent them for a post mortem examination to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College and Hospital at Tanda in the district.

Ankit Kumar, DSP Kangra confirmed the incident and said that the victims had come here a few days ago and worked as wood cutters. They were relatives.

In the second case, a 21-year-old girl died while bathing in Jabbar Khad along Defence Road in Dhakki village of Nurpur police station area. The deceased has been identified as Sheetal, daughter of Narendra Kumar, resident of Ward No. 5, Nurpur. Local police took her body into custody, got the post mortem examination conducted and handed the body over to family members for cremation.

In both incidents, the police have initiated inquest proceedings into the incidents.