Excelsior Correspondent
DODA, Mar 17: An excavator driver working on under-construction Batote-Kishtwar highway was feared drowned today when his machine fell from the road and slid into Chenab River.
“The operator has been identified as Rahul Sharma, 25, son of Sanjay Kumar, resident of Dharmthal, Chenani, Udhampur,” SSP Doda, Abdul Qayoom said adding: “The worker was operating the excavator near Shiva-Dul Bridge some 15 km from Doda town on Batote-Kishtwar NH 244, at 3 am when the machine lost traction and slid 200 ft into the river.
Chenab is a fast flowing deep river and the operator was unable to escape from the machine he was operating and perhaps got drowned.
Meanwhile, police along with other teams have launched a rescue operation to trace the missing operator.
“Police along with SDRF and civil administration has launched a joint search operation. As of now only a part of the machine is visible and the operator who got reportedly drowned has not been located yet,” SSP Doda said.
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