As the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir's Anantnag district triggered fears and caused panic exit among tourists, two women from Maharashtra on Wednesday refused to return home with bitter memories.
"Several people forced us to book flights and told us to come back again (later) because whatever happened was terrifying but we are not scared. We are leaving Pahalgam but we are not leaving Kashmir," one of the women told NDTV.
The second woman said she was touched by the hospitality of the local residents. "We trust the local residents here. They way they have been treating us, they have earned our trust. They have always helped us," she said. Click here for Kashmir terror attack live updates
"Our driver who has been with us right from the start never asked us for our religion before dropping us to the hotel. (After the attack) He did not care about his safety but prioritised ours. We will continue to travel because this place is so beautiful," she added. She was referring to several survivors' claims that the terrorists asked the religion of the victims before killing them.
Twenty-six people, including six from Maharashtra, died in the gruesome terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam on Tuesday, one of the deadliest attacks in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.
The terror attack took place at Baisaran, dubbed 'mini Switzerland' for its meadow, accessible only on foot or by pony, where a group of tourists had gone visiting on Tuesday morning. The Resistance Front, a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
Security personnel patrol at the Dal Lake, amid high alert after the Pahalgam terror attack, in Srinagar.
Photo Credit: PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who reached Srinagar on Tuesday night, interacted with families of those killed and other survivors of the attack on Wednesday. A team of the National Investigation Agency also reached Pahalgam to assist the local police in the probe. Security agencies have released sketches of three men suspected to be involved in the attack.
The attack took place at a time the tourist and trekking season was picking up momentum.
Hospitality industry players expect the terror attack to sow fear in the minds of tourists who were keen to visit the Union Territory, adversely affecting the livelihoods of people in the state who are dependent on tourism.
"As per the early observations, flight cancellations jumped 7x, and a drop in future bookings by nearly 40 per cent," Cleartrip Chief Growth and Business Officer Manjari Singhal was quoted as saying by PTI.
EaseMyTrip Chairman and Founder Nishant Pitti said: "In light of the ongoing situation in Srinagar, we at EaseMyTrip are fully committed to supporting our customers who are travelling to or from Srinagar. We understand the uncertainty this situation may cause and are here to minimise any inconvenience to your travel plans. To ensure flexibility, we have extended free change and cancellation waivers for all bookings made on or before April 22, applicable for travel up to April 30."
