BANDIPORA — A wave of grief has swept through the Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district following a tragic drowning incident that claimed the lives of three local youths on Friday, May 8, 2026. The victims, all residents of the Chandergeer neighborhood, were reportedly engaged in a routine task at the riverbank when the accident occurred.

The incident took place in the Check Chandergeer area of Hajin. According to local officials and witnesses, the three youths were washing tent materials in the River Jhelum when one of them accidentally slipped into the deep, fast-flowing water. In a desperate and heroic attempt to save their companion, the other two jumped in, but all three were quickly overwhelmed by the strong river currents and swept away.

The community immediately sprang into action. Local volunteers and youth were the first to dive into the Jhelum to search for the trio before official rescue teams, including the Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), arrived at the scene.

After hours of intense searching, the bodies of all three youths were eventually retrieved from the water. Two bodies were recovered in the initial phase of the operation, while the third was located later in the evening following sustained efforts by divers and locals. The remains were shifted to the Community Health Centre (CHC) Hajin for necessary medico-legal formalities before being handed over to their distraught families.

The tragedy has cast a deep pall of gloom over Chandergeer and the wider Hajin area. Hundreds of grieving residents gathered along the banks of the Jhelum throughout the afternoon, with many expressing heartbreaks over the loss of three young men described as hardworking and well-regarded in their village.

Local leaders and residents have extended their deepest condolences to the bereaved families, as the village prepares for a somber final farewell to the victims.