Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Aug 5: As whole world is celebrating Friendship Day today, three of the four friends were cremated together in village Soahal of Sub Division Padder.
As reported, four teenage boys drowned during swimming in a natural pond at village Sohal area of Sub Division Padder, here yesterday.
After getting information, police and SDRF teams from Gulabgarh reached the spot and fished out the bodies of drowned children after hectic efforts.
Quoting preliminary information, sources said one of the boys drowned and three others jumped to rescue him. However, all the four lost their lives.
The deceased have been identified as Aditya Kumar (16), son of Ashok Kumar of village Sohal, Sachin Kumar (16), son of Ram Singh of village Gandhari, Shivam Kumar (13), son of Bodh Raj of village Sohal, Vishal Kumar (14), son of Mohinder Singh (SPO) of village Sohal.
After completing legal and medical formalities, the bodies of the deceased were handed over to family members for last rites.
Atholi Police has taken cognizance in this regard.
On the one hand, when everybody was seen sharing good wishes with their friends on the Friendship day, Aditya, Shivan and Vishal Kumar were cremated at their native village Soahal together today. Their fourth friend Sachin Kumar will be cremated tomorrow, when his father reaches back from New Delhi.
Thousands of people including MLA Kishtwar Sunil Sharma, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Angrez Singh Rana, Additional SP Kishtwar Perbeet Singh joined the funeral and expressed condolence to the bereaved families.
All the four youth had gone for swimming in the natural pond, without knowing that they will be cremated together on Friendship Day.
“No one knows, what destiny has decided”, one of the mourners said, adding that cremation of trio will be remembered every year on Friendship Day.
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