Meer Irfan
In a tragic incident, Mohammad Rafiq, a 35-year-old truck driver from Bengaluru, Karnataka, was found dead in his vehicle at the Shopian Fruit Mandi this morning.
Officials told The Kashmiriyat that the truck, bearing registration number KA 07 B 4825, was parked in the mandi’s truck lot. Initial reports indicate that Rafiq died to the severe cold gripping the region.
Rafiq had arrived in Shopian two days earlier and was scheduled to load his truck with fruit for transportation to Karnataka today.
His lifeless body was discovered early in the morning, prompting local police to register a case and launch an investigation.
The body has been moved to the mortuary pending further legal formalities.
Expressing grief over the incident, Jahangir Ahmad, President of the Transport Union Shopian, assured that the union would bear all expenses to transport Rafiq’s body back to his family.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss and will ensure the arrangements are handled with dignity,” he said.
Authorities have urged truck drivers and transport workers to take extra precautions against the plunging temperatures, warning that the harsh winter conditions could pose serious health risks to those in the region.