Doda: It has been 24 hours since three persons drowned in the Chenab in the Garso area of Doda district on Friday evening, but the rescue teams have not been able to retrieve the bodies so far. The trio drowned when the vehicle they were travelling in fell into the Chenab on Friday evening.

Doda: It has been 24 hours since three persons drowned in the Chenab in the Garso area of Doda district on Friday evening, but the rescue teams have not been able to retrieve the bodies so far. The trio drowned when the vehicle they were travelling in fell into the Chenab on Friday evening.

Family members and relatives of the three persons held a massive protest at Garso this morning and blocked the Doda-Kishtwar national highway for about half an hour, demanding the rescue operation be started again. The rescue operation was stopped on Friday night due to the high current in the Chenab.

As protesting relatives blocked the highway, traffic was affected, leading to jams. To pacify the protesters, senior officers of the administration and the police rushed to the spot and assured them that the rescue operation would be resumed again.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), Doda, Iftqar Ahmed said: “We have resumed the rescue operation with the help of rescuers from the police and the Army but have not been able to retrieve the bodies from the swallowing Chenab. The river is in spate.”

Meanwhile, the Kishtwar police, with the help of locals, have continued their rescue operation to trace a person who drowned in a nullah along the Padder-Machail road on Friday. One of the two injured in the accident succumbed to his injuries at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Jammu today.

Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Sundeep Wazir said: “Vishal Kumar succumbed at the GMCH, Jammu, this morning. His body was handed over to his family for last rites after a post-mortem. The rescue operation is, however, on to trace the missing person.”