Ramban, June 19: In a heart-wrenching incident, a 20-year-old woman allegedly ended her life by jumping into the Chenab River from a bridge in the Thathri area of the Doda district on Thursday, shortly after receiving news of her cousin brotherís tragic death in a landslide at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.
The deceased woman has been identified as Payal Devi, daughter of Harbans Lal of Jakyas village in the Jang Nala area of Chilli Pingal, Bhalessa.
Devi undertook a nearly 30-km journey on foot to reach Thathri Bridge, from where she jumped into a rivulet flowing into the River Chenab. The heart-rending act was captured on a CCTV camera installed near the bridge, and the footage of the incident has since gone viral on social media, triggering shock and grief in the region.
Locals said Payal was devastated after learning about the death of her cousin brother, Nitin Kumar, 20, son of Rawail Singh, who was working as a labourer in Kedarnath.
Kumar reportedly died on Wednesday after being hit by a landslide in the shrine area.
ìThe body of Kumar is on its way to Thathri from Kedarnath,î officials said.
Soon after Payal received the tragic news, she reportedly left home and walked to Thathri, where she took the extreme step.
Upon receiving information, Police, along with local volunteers and SDRF personnel, rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. However, by late Thursday evening, the body of the girl had not been retrieved from the river.
A Police official confirmed the incident and said that a case had been registered under relevant sections at Police Station Thathri.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the entire region, with locals expressing shock over the double tragedy that struck the family.
