Pahalgam (Jammu and Kashmir) [India]: Two days after the devastating terror attack in Baisaran Valley that claimed 26 lives, residents of Pahalgam are still reeling from the trauma—but also showing remarkable courage and compassion in its aftermath.
Sajad Ahmad Bhat, a local shawl hawker, was captured on video carrying an injured tourist to safety—an act that has since gone viral on social media. Bhat said he rushed to the scene after receiving a message from Abdul Waheed Wan, president of the Pahalgam Poney Association.
“We reached the site around 3–3:30 p.m., gave water to the injured, and helped carry those who couldn’t walk. Humanity comes before religion. These tourists are our guests—our livelihood depends on them,” he said tearfully. “When I saw them crying, I couldn’t hold back my tears either. Their arrival lights up our homes.”
Another local hero, Irshad Ahmad, president of the Pahalgam ATV Stand, helped evacuate victims using All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). The road to Baisaran is non-motorable, but Ahmad and his team quickly mobilized their bikes.
“We’ve been transporting police and security forces to the valley since the attack,” he explained. “I personally rescued Navy Officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal and his wife. He had already passed, but I told his wife he was alive so she wouldn’t panic. I cried four times that day… We don’t ever want to witness such horror again in our Kashmir.”
A local chef, who has worked in the region’s hospitality industry for 30 years, expressed his despair over the tragedy’s economic fallout.
“This is the worst incident I’ve ever seen. My livelihood—and that of so many others—depends entirely on tourists. The season was going strong, hotels were full. Now, the loss won’t just be in crores, it’ll be in billions. I don’t know how we’ll survive,” he lamented.
The attack on April 22 targeted innocent civilians, mostly tourists, in the Baisaran meadow. 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen were killed, marking it as one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
As the community mourns, it also stands as a testament to human resilience and solidarity in the face of terrorism.