A special IndiGo flight (6E 9198) carrying 178 Karnataka tourists from Srinagar landed safely in Bengaluru on Thursday at 12 PM, bringing with it a sense of relief and joy amid the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Among the returnees were Labour Minister Santosh Lad and officials who coordinated the safe return. Many tourists, originally planning to visit Pahalgam later in the week, cut their trips short following the deadly attack that shook the region.
C A Tukaram Rai, part of a 30-member IRCTC tour group, praised their local driver Munir, who reassured and protected them. “He said he’d give his life for us,” Rai shared emotionally.
Ganesh K, an associate director at Kyndryl, described the fear and anxiety his family faced: “Every knock on the door felt ominous.” His wife Maria added a touch of emotional irony, quoting their son: “It’s okay if we die. We’ll go to heaven – it’s Kashmir!”
Ramesh Tumbaraguddi, 62, noted how Minister Lad personally called them at 3:30 AM, advising them to stay put and share Aadhaar details for a smooth evacuation.
Nalini Sundar, a retired banker, said her daughter alerted her to the news mid-shopping. Despite the chaos, she appreciated the tightened security and felt safe throughout.
While some chose to stay behind in Kashmir, others like Veeresh Kumar opted to return early, choosing certainty over uncertainty.