Thousands Mourn as Five Family Members Laid to Rest in Uri Village, Kashmir

Amid sobs and tears, thousands gathered in Uri village of north Kashmir’s Baramulla to bid farewell to five family members who tragically died from asphyxiation in their rented room in Srinagar on Sunday. The joint funeral, led by a local Imam, saw a huge turnout from various areas of the Baramulla district, all with tearful eyes.

The deceased were identified as Aijaz Ahmad Bhat, his wife Saleema Bano, and their three children Areeb Aijaz, Hamza Aijaz, and a month-old infant whose name had not yet been chosen. On Monday, Gingal village in Boniyar area of Baramulla was engulfed in grief following the heartbreaking incident. Neighbors and villagers gathered to console the family.

Aijaz Ahmad Bhat had been living in a rented accommodation in Srinagar for the past 8-10 years while working as a chef at the Lalit Grand Palace hotel. His father, Ghulam Rasool Bhat, who is bedridden, was unaware of the heart-wrenching loss that had befallen his family.

“I don’t believe it. They are alive, and I pray to Allah that my family members regain their senses soon. I want to see them, but I can’t stand or walk,” he said.

Ghulam Nabi, Aijaz’s uncle, mentioned that they were yet to name the infant. The family was expecting Aijaz to come home this week to suggest a name for the newborn.

“We received the devastating news at 9 PM on Sunday. It is the saddest day for the entire Kashmir,” he said.

Community members urged the government and the hotel industry to support the bereaved family and provide ex-gratia relief. Kamal Khan, another local, emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the dangers of heating devices and called for immediate action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Amidst rainfall, the five family members were laid to rest in their ancestral graveyard, with people from Uri and Boniyar attending the burial.

In Srinagar, the house owner Mukhtar Ahmad recounted being alerted by Aijaz’s mother, who had failed to contact her son. When there was no response, they forced the door open and found Aijaz, his wife, and their three children dead. Preliminary investigations suggested that suffocation from a heating device (blower) caused the deaths.

“The bodies were sent to the Government Medical College in Srinagar for post-mortem before being transported to Uri for burial,” officials said.