‘Well Tragedy’: 5 die after slipping into well at Kashmir’s Budgam, Kupwara

Srinagar: At least five persons died while three others were rescued after they fell into the well at separate places in Central Kashmir’s Budgam and north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Wednesday.
The separate incidents in Budgam‘s Khansahib area and Kralpora hamlet of Kupwara left the entire Kashmir in shock as eight persons including three in Budgam and five in Kupwara fell into the well Wednesday.
However, five persons among them including three from Budgam and two from Kupwara, died after being pulled out from the well.
Three men, who fell into a well at Khansahib area of Budgam district, were pulled out dead, officials said.
An official said that a person identified as Moomin Dar accidentally fell into the deep well and soon after locals tried to rescue him.
He said during the rescue operation, two more individuals fell into it. “As the news spread in the area, locals and administration reached the spot and launched a massive rescue operation,” he said.
He said that after seven hours of hectic efforts, all the three trapped persons were pulled out dead. The deceased have been identified as Amjid Ali, Gulam Hassan Wani and Momin Dar—all residents Gotipora Khansahib.
Sub District Magistrate (SDM) Khansahib said that the rescue operation has culminated and the bodies of all three persons, who fell into a deep well (95 feet) have been recovered.
He said it was a very difficult task and NDRF was also roped in during the operation as the well was almost 95 feet deep.
Meanwhile, in a similar tragic incident, two people also lost their lives while three others were hospitalized after they fell into a well in Kupwara district.
The incident, as per the locals, occurred as few of the locals were fetching water amidst severe water scarcity in the area.
As per the officials, soon after the incident at Satboin Dardpora in Kralpora Kupwara, the rescue operation was launched and the individuals following hectic efforts were rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared two among the five as brought dead.
The deceased were identified as Farid Ahmad Khoja & Bashir Ahmad Khoja. The injured Safeer Ahmad, Qasim ud Din and Abdul Hameed are responding well to the treatment.
The well serves a crucial water source for the villagers, locals while expressing their frustration over the failure of authorities in providing basic necessities.
“The tragedy could have been avoided if the government had addressed the issue of water crises,” one of the villagers said.
They urged authorities to take immediate action and ensure that such incidents are prevented in the future