In the aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack that killed 27 tourists in the Baisaran Meadow of Pahalgam, incredible survival stories are emerging—stories where ordinary people turned into heroes. One such story is that of an Indian Army officer (identity withheld) from Mysuru, Karnataka.
The officer’s younger brother, Prasanna Kumar Bhat, shared their harrowing experience on X (formerly Twitter), recounting how their family narrowly escaped the massacre and how his brother saved the lives of nearly 35–40 tourists. Prasanna credited divine grace, luck, and his brother’s quick thinking for their survival.
On the day of the attack, Prasanna, his wife, his brother, and sister-in-law reached Pahalgam around 12:30 PM. They took a pony ride to Baisaran Meadow. After sipping kawa at a roadside stall, they went for a stroll around 2 PM—a move Prasanna later described as “lucky,” as it led them away from the main entrance of the meadow.
“But everything changed within the next 25 minutes, just 400 meters from where we stood, when terrorists began raining bullets on panicked tourists,” Prasanna said. His brother, a senior Indian Army officer, immediately realized it was a terrorist attack.
“There was little room to escape, as the meadow is fenced. People were running toward the gate, where the terrorists were already waiting—like sheep running into the tiger’s mouth,” he added.
As a terrorist approached their hiding spot, the officer acted swiftly. He guided 35–40 tourists in the opposite direction, created a narrow opening under the fence using a pipe, and led them through it toward a nearby water stream.
Despite weak mobile coverage, he managed to alert the local Army unit and headquarters in Srinagar. About 40 minutes later, rescue teams arrived in helicopters and trucks, located the group, and evacuated them safely.
Prasanna’s post about his brother’s bravery is now going viral, with social media users praising the officer for his courage and presence of mind.
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