‘We feel like we’ve been spared by divine grace,’ says Bengaluru tourist stranded in Kashmir after deadly terror attack

Tragedy strikes tourists in Kashmir as families from Karnataka mourn the loss of loved ones in terror attack.

“We were in Gulmarg on Tuesday, and had planned to head to Pahalgam on Wednesday,” said Prasad D from Bengaluru, currently stranded in Kashmir with his family. “The same place where the terror attack occurred. We feel blessed to be safe — only by the grace of God,” he added, speaking to The Hindu on the phone from Kashmir.

Mr. Prasad had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir with a group of 23 family members on April 19. Their trip had included popular tourist destinations such as Gulmarg and Pahalgam. The group, however, narrowly avoided tragedy when they altered their travel plans at the last minute, choosing to stay longer in Gulmarg instead of proceeding to Pahalgam, where a terror attack had claimed multiple lives.

His wife, Mamatha Prasad, echoed the fear and uncertainty that have gripped the group. “We are still reeling from the shock,” she said. “Had we gone to Pahalgam, we don’t know what might have happened. Right now, we’re confined to our hotel and figuring out how to get back to Bengaluru. Our trip was supposed to continue until April 25, but after this incident, all we want is to return home as soon as possible. My children, aged 12 and 15, are traumatised.”

The attack in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir has left at least three tourists from Karnataka dead — Manjunath Rao from Shivamogga, Bharat Bhushan from Mathikere, Bengaluru, and Madhusudan Rao from Ramamurthy Nagar, Bengaluru.

Their deaths have cast a shadow over the many families who had travelled to Kashmir for a holiday during the summer break. Bharat Bhushan, a former software engineer who was running a diagnostic centre in Bengaluru, had arrived in Kashmir on April 18 through a tour package. His mother-in-law, Vimala, said that his mother, who has been bedridden and battling health complications, remains unaware of his death. “She was only recently discharged from the hospital. His brother Preetam rushed to Jammu and Kashmir the moment he heard the news,” she added.

Ms. Vimala also recalled how they first learned about the attack. “It was our daughter who called and informed us. She had been married for five years and used to work in an IT firm. We were devastated when we got the call.”

Mr. Bhushan’s father, Chanaveerappa, a retired Deputy Director of Public Instruction, was told about his son’s death only on Wednesday morning. Ms. Bhushan’s mother, Shailakumari, is a heart patient and is said to be in a critical condition.