Child’s Body Found Across LoC: Suru River Tragedy Highlights Humanitarian Gap in Kargil–Baltistan | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: The body of a child who drowned in the Suru River in Ladakh’s Kargil district last month has been recovered across the Line of Control (LoC) in Baltistan, bringing renewed attention to a recurring humanitarian concern in the region.

The incident occurred near Hundarman in Kargil, where two children were swept away by the river. While one body was retrieved shortly after the accident, the second remained missing until its recovery from Gangni in Baltistan.

Local political leader Sajjad Kargili said the incident reflects a long-standing issue affecting families divided between Ladakh and Baltistan. He noted that river currents frequently carry bodies across the LoC, but in the absence of a formal mechanism, they are often not returned to their families.

“The border continues to witness such tragedies every year. Not only are families separated in life, but even in death, many are denied the dignity of returning home,” he said.

Kargili pointed out that similar cases have occurred in the past, including last year, when several bodies had to be buried in Baltistan due to procedural and diplomatic constraints.

He urged India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to address the issue on humanitarian grounds and establish a mechanism for the return of bodies in such cases.

The incident has once again highlighted the human cost of divided regions, where natural forces like river currents often intersect with geopolitical boundaries, complicating even basic humanitarian responses.