Rescuers were searching for about 15 people who went missing when a boat carrying them over a swollen river in Indian-administered Kashmir crashed on Tuesday, according to officials.
Several youngsters who were on their way to school were among those who went missing when the boat capsized in Srinagar’s Jhelum River.
“Around 15 people, including several children, are missing following the accident,” a top official in Kashmir told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The river had risen following days of rain in the Himalayan Kashmir valley.
Witnesses reported that a rope used to lead the boat over snapped under the force of the fast-flowing water.
“Our rescue crews are present. “We are gathering information about the incident,” Srinagar district magistrate Bilal Mohi-ud-Din Bhat told AFP.
Many office workers and students ride a boat across the river in the morning to avoid traffic.
Accidents are common on the dangerous roads of the hilly region, but passenger boat catastrophes are uncommon.