MUZAFFARABAD: A 21-year-old university student drowned in the swollen Jhelum River on Saturday while attempting to take a selfie, police confirmed.

The incident occurred between 9 and 10am along Manak Pehan camp, situated on the right bank of the river.

The victim, Aamna Butt, daughter of Muhammad Aslam Butt, a prayer leader and a refugee from Indian-occupied Kashmir was a resident of the same camp.

According to police and eyewitnesses, Aamna was sitting on the riverbank with a fellow student when the mishap occurred.

“It was hot, so we removed our shoes to cool our feet in the water and decided to take a selfie,” her classmate recounted. “Aamna slipped on a jelly-like substance on the rocks and fell into the deep water. She was visible for a few moments before being swept away by the current.”

A camp resident said the shocked friend remained by the riverbank crying for some time before running back to alert others. Despite the community’s swift response, Aamna had vanished from sight.

Police and rescue officials launched an immediate search operation, deploying a 16-member water rescue team to scour the area for more than two hours. However, they were unable to locate the body.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2025