Infant Dies, 2 Women Rescued, After Slipping From Log Bridge Into Chenab In J&K's Kishtwar
The incident triggered protests as people blocked the road and raised slogans, demanding immediate compensation for the bereaved family and urgent construction of a bridge.
Published : April 20, 2026 at 9:32 AM IST
Kishtwar: A five-month-old infant drowned, while his mother and aunt were rescued after they slipped into the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Sunday.
The trio was attempting to cross the river using makeshift wooden logs in the Mughal Maidan area when they lost balance and were swept away by the current.
Locals rushed to the spot and managed to rescue the two women after strenuous efforts, while the infant drowned and his body was later retrieved downstream.
The incident sparked protests, with residents accusing the administration of failing to restore a vital bridge that was washed away in flash floods in September last year.
The protesters blocked the road and raised slogans, demanding immediate compensation for the bereaved family and urgent construction of a permanent bridge. The protesters blocked the National Highway and demanded the immediate construction of a permanent bridge.
Senior Congress leader and former MLA G M Saroori joined the protest and urged the authorities to act without delay. "This tragedy is the result of administrative apathy. The bridge must be constructed at the earliest to prevent further loss of life," he said.
Locals said that they have repeatedly appealed for the restoration of connectivity, but no concrete steps have been taken, forcing them to risk their lives by crossing the river on temporary wooden structures.
Member of Legislative Assembly of Andarwal constituency, Pyare Lal Sharma, expressed deep sorrow over this incident and said he had sanctioned Rs 30 lakh for the construction of the bridge, which was affected in the flood.
"Another Rs 7 lakh was released from the development fund, but due to a lack of funds, the project could not be approved. Later, Rs 1 crore was released from the capex budget of the R&B department," he said.
The MLA said that he has sanctioned Rs 2 lakh from his CDF fund for the family of the deceased child. He assured that all possible steps should be taken for the improvement of basic facilities in the area, including the construction of the bridge. "This bridge will be completely constructed in the coming two or three months," he said.
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