Driver's Body Retrieved 15 Days After Accident In Drass; No Trace Of IES Officer

Rescue teams of police, SDRF, local volunteers of Baseej-e-Imam Trust were searching for the bodies since June 22 and on Wednesday they traced the body of the driver.

Subhan Ali, IES Officer

Leh: The body of a driver, who went missing along with an Indian Engineering services (IES) officer of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after their vehicle plunged into a river in Drass area of Kargil district on June 23, was retrieved from the waters on Wednesday after 15 days of extensive searches. Rescue teams of police, SDRF, local volunteers of Baseej-e-Imam Trust were searching for the bodies since June 22 and on Wednesday they traced the body of the driver. Station House Officer police station Drass, Manzoor Ahmed confirmed that the body of the BRO driver Balwinder Singh has been retrieved near Jazgound area of Drass, 25 kilometres away from the accident spot after 15 days. However, he said that the body of IES officer Subhan Ali, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, remains untraceable so far. “There is a heavy flow of water in the river. But the rescuers are putting efforts to trace him,” he said. Rescue operations continued for three consecutive day in Drass area of Kargil region soon after the incident was to locate the body of the officer and his driver. Vehicle of Subhan Ali, an IES (Indian Engineering Service), met with an accident when the driver of the vehicle lost control on a hilly stretch. The vehicle plunged into River Sindh near Drass and was washed away. The river in the local parlance is known as ‘Sindh Drass’. Both the officer Subhan Ali and his driver were washed away in the fast flowing waters of the river, which flows into Pakistan. Authorities started looking for the bodies, however, they were untraceable. ALSO READ | J&K: HC Srinagar Wing Closed For 2 Days After 8 CRPF Men Posted There Test Positive For Covid-19 Rescue operation is being conducted by SDRF Kargil, Police, Army and a team of Navy , while Airforce helicopter is also part of the rescue operation, but due to heavy river flow the vehicle and body could not be fished out. Subhan Ali who hails from a poor family in Indian Uttar Pradesh State had come off with flying colors in Indian Engineering Service and he had been posted in Drass region on his first posting.