Safe but terrorised, want to return home: Pune lawyer stranded in J&K
IMD official Chandrakant Kale
, who narrowly escaped the attack with his wife, having left the site mere moments before the deadly strike.
"We came to know about the attack on way to Srinagar from Pahalgam. I was totally shaken. We have reached our hotel and are now safe," Kale told TOI. "Army men are constantly patrolling the roads. We will be in Kashmir till Friday owing to some work commitments," he said.
Pune lawyer Vijaysinh Thombare was holed up in a Srinagar hotel. "As of now, we are safe in the hotel. But most of us (tourists from Maharashtra) are feeling scared and want to leave J&K as soon as possible."
Thombare was touring J&K with his wife, NCP functionary and former corporator Rupali Patil-Thombare. "We were in Pahalgam on Sunday before leaving for Gulmarg on Monday. Today (Tuesday), we were enjoying a gondola ride at Gulmarg when the Army jawans directed all tourists to vacate the area and reach hotels," he said.
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According to Thombare, roads in Srinagar are deserted, with Army personnel everywhere. "Our return flight is on Wednesday, but many other tourists have their bookings later. Now, nobody wants to stay here. I don't know how everyone could get the return flight. My wife is constantly talking to these tourists and trying to calm them down."
Later in the day, Baramati MP and NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule took to X (formerly twitter) and urged J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah to ensure immediate medical aid and support to the injured tourists, including those from Pune.
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