KISHTWAR: A four-month-old infant drowned, while his mother and aunt were rescued after the trio slipped into the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Sunday, officials said.
According to officials, the three were attempting to cross the river using makeshift wooden logs in the Mughal Maidan area when they lost balance and were swept away by the strong current.
Locals immediately rushed to the spot and, after strenuous efforts, managed to rescue the two women. However, the infant drowned in the river and his body was later retrieved downstream.
The tragic incident triggered protests in the area, with residents accusing the administration of failing to restore a vital bridge that had been washed away in flash floods in September last year.
Protesters blocked the road and raised slogans, demanding immediate compensation for the bereaved family and urgent construction of a permanent bridge to restore safe connectivity.
Senior Congress leader and former MLA G M Saroori also 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," G M Saroori said.
Locals stated that they had repeatedly appealed to the administration for restoration of the bridge, but no concrete steps had been taken, forcing residents to risk their lives by crossing the river on temporary wooden structures.