KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Risking their lives amidst curfew restrictions, locals in Bijbehara Wednesday rescued the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims injured in a road accident on Jammu-Srinagar Highway and carried them to hospitals, Delhi-based Indian Express reported.
Reports said that the driver of the bus carrying the yatris died of injuries after the vehicle met an accident near Bijbehara town in Islamabad district.
Locals in Bijbehara town, who are mourning the deaths due to recent protests in the Valley, ignored their personal grief and the curfew to rush to the accident spot and rescue the injured pilgrims.
“Locals carried the injured pilgrims to a hospital in their private vehicles. Some also carried them to a hospital in Srinagar,” an eye-witness told a news gathering agency.
The gesture of the Bijbehara locals has been hailed by one and all and has been termed exemplary.
Later talking to reporters, a Yatri who identified himself as Anjuma Kumar Arora from Uattar Pradesh said, “I have never such king people who risked their life and saved us.” “We sought help from Indian army soldiers and the CRPF men but no one did come to our rescue but when some locals saw us in terrific condition, a group of around 50 persons came and helped us and rushed us to hospitals.”
“People of Srinagar, Kashmir are the best one; today I have come to know the real Kashmir,” he added.
Of the 37 people killed in the violence, 35 belonged to south Kashmir districts of Islamabad, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama while one each belonged to Srinagar and Kupwara districts.
At least two protesters had died in Bijbehara town a day before and tension ran high there on Wednesday.
“Despite all the violence around, the locals did not ignore the call of humanity,” an eye-witness said.
“This is the uniqueness of Kashmir, we must all fight to protect,” said a resident of the town.
