Srinagar: Data from 2016 to 2022 reveals that over 5,400 children were reported missing in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, with more than 1,500 still untraced.
In 2016, 1,070 children went missing, and 716 remained untraced. In 2017, 725 children were reported missing, with 506 still untraced. The figures for 2018 stood at 800 missing, with 384 still untraced, and in 2019, 661 children were reported missing, leaving 401 untraced.
The numbers remained concerning in subsequent years: 627 children went missing in 2020 (444 untraced), 723 in 2021 (483 untraced), and 821 in 2022, of whom 445 remain untraced. Ladakh also recorded missing children, with some still untraced.
Authorities have been urged to strengthen child protection mechanisms and intensify efforts to trace missing children.
