A video of a tourist from Gujarat, who unwittingly captured the chilling moments of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack while ziplining, has gone viral. Rishi Bhatt, a resident of Ahmedabad, was enjoying a holiday with his family when terrorists opened fire, killing at least 26 people.
The zipline video goes viral
Bhatt was in the middle of a ziplining session and was recording his experience when the shooting began. In media interviews, he recalled the sequence of events and how what seemed like an adventurous family outing turned into a nightmare.“Firing started when I was ziplining… I didn’t realise this for around 20 seconds,” he said. “I suddenly realised that firing had started and people on the ground were being killed. I saw 5-6 people getting shot. After about 20 seconds, I realised that it was a terrorist attack.”
Zipline operator’s suspicious behaviour
According to Bhatt, the zipline operator said “Allahu Akbar” thrice as the firing began, raising his suspicions. “Nine people ziplined before me, but the operator did not say anything. When I was sliding, he spoke, and then the firing started. So, I have my suspicions about that man,” he added. According to reports, the zipline operator in question has been summoned by the National Investigation Agency.
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How the horror unfolded
Rishi Bhatt went on to describe the horror that unfolded in front of his wife and son. “Men from two families ahead of us were asked their religion and shot in front of my wife and son. My wife and son were screaming. We hid in a pit where we couldn’t be spotted.”
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Indian Army’s arrival
He also praised the swift response of the Indian Army. “The Army gave cover to all tourists within 18–20 minutes. I am grateful to the Indian Army,” he said.
