2 weeks Ago By Alim Shaikh
Pune: Katraj resident Rohini Gaikwad and her family of six were just 2km from Baisaran Valley in Pahalgam on Tuesday when they saw panicked people fleeing and heard gunshots. Their car driver swiftly turned around and dropped them at a hotel, while Gaikwad warned their group of 70, including children, in other vehicles to stay away. "Our driver's alertness saved us," Gaikwad said.
"We saw panicked people, including crying women, rushing towards the main road from the valley. Some warned our driver not to proceed," Gaikwad said, while recounting the harrowing experience. She said the driver dropped them at their hotel, where they waited for two hours before cancelling their trip further and returning to Srinagar the same night.
The group's family members were left panicked in Pune after the incident, unable to contact their loved ones because of poor mobile network in the valley. Relief came only when the tourists reached a hotel outside Pahalgam and connected their families in home. The group had reached J&K on April 15 and planned a trip till April 24, visiting other places in Pahalgam and the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
They, however, cancelled their plans and opted to return to Pune early..
