SRINAGAR — After gap of 11 days, the authorities on Friday retrieved the body of 11-year-old boy Haziq Ahmed Sheikh from Zero Bridge area of Srinagar.
With the recovery of Haziq’s body, the death toll in the Gandbal boat capsizing incident has reached seven while two persons including Haziq’s father Showkat Ahmad and minor boy Farhan Parray continue to remain missing. Locals at Gandbal hoped that their bodies will also float and they would have their last glimpse as well.
Haziq, a resident of Gandbal had drowned along with six others after a boat with 20 people on board capsized in river Jhelum in Gandbal area of Batwara Srinagar on April 16.
A pall of gloom descended over the entire Gandbal area of Srinagar yet again after the news of recovery of Haziq’s body speared in the area.
An eyewitness told KNO that as the body of Haziq reached his native area Gandbal, people flooded the little boy’s residence amid shrieks and cries while women were seen wailing.
The Gandbal locality has been in a state of mourning for the past 11 days, owing to the tragic boat capsize incident that claimed seven lives including little Haziq.
The father of Hazik and minor boy Farhan Parray continue to remain missing under waters.
Regarding the retrieval of Haziq’s body, a local, who was part of the sand extraction team at Zero Bridge, Rajbagh, said that they saw the body on the top of the water floating near Rajbagh area on Friday afternoon.
“Soon, I along with other men rushed towards the body and handed it to the police, who then took it to the hospital, where medical formalities were done after which the body was handed over to the boy’s family,” he said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people attended the funeral of Haziq at Gandbal and bid his last goodbye. The family members of Haziq including his grandmother, father and mother also had last glimpse of little Haziq before his burial bath.
People from various parts of Srinagar had reached Gandbal to participate in the funeral of little boy. — (KNO)