Pahalgam survivor recalls horror, wife prays Shiva

Vinubhai Dabhi, a resident of Gujarat's Bhavnagar who was injured in the Pahalgam attack, and his wife Lilaben on Friday recounted the carnage, which included seeing a young man fall to the bullets of the terrorists.

Dabhi (55) and his wife were among a group of 20 persons from here who had gone to the Union Territory on April 16 to listen to the discourse of renowned spiritual leader Morari Bapu in Srinagar.

"Everyone started running when we learnt about the firing. I got separated from my wife. Those who got left behind were unfortunately killed by the terrorists. While I was running, a bullet pierced through my right arm, while another grazed my left shoulder, leaving a minor wound," Dabhi told reporters at his residence after reaching here on Thursday night.

"When I finally got reunited with my wife, she collapsed three times seeing my bloodied shirt and the bullet injury. We managed to somehow reach the foot of the hill where Army personnel took me to a hospital. I was admitted for three days," he said.

A teary-eyed Lilaben said it was during the time when she was separated from her husband that she saw a terrorist gun down 20-year-old Smit Parmar.

Smit and his father Yash Parmar were among the 26 who were killed in the horrific episode at the picturesque meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday.

The father-son duo was among the group of 20 who had gone from here to Srinagar.

"When I was running, I saw a terrorist pump a bullet into Smit's chest. That poor by fell to the ground immediately. That scene was unbearable. I learnt later that his father too was shot dead. Army personnel helped survivors get hospitalised and also arranged for accommodation," Lilaben said.

She said she started praying to Lord Shiva after seeing blood on her husband's hand.

Khushi Vaghela, who was also part of the group that went from here for Morari Bapu's discourse, however, flagged the lack of Army presence on the hill.

"Two to three terrorists started firing in an indiscriminate manner on tourists. However, there were no Army or any other security personnel at that place. I learnt that four Pakistani terrorists were held from that place just recently. If that is true, then Army personnel should have been there. But, there was no one there, " Vaghela told reporters.