Well, that's awkward and also terrifying. A ziplining tourist is speaking out after accidentally capturing a brutal massacre in what should have been a lighthearted video.
The tourist decided to film himself ziplining over Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow. Instead, he accidentally captured a mass shooting in Kashmir that claimed the lives of 26 people. In the video, via NDTV, you can see four armed men murder 26 tourists. The incident happened on April 22.
In the video, Rishi Bhatt from Ahmedabad filmed himself ziplining through the area. As he went along, you can see tourists began to drop like flies. Now, the tourist is speaking out about the deadly crime. He said that he wasn't unaware of the terror unfolding around him. As he was ziplining, he realized something was wrong.
"Firing started when I was ziplining," Bhatt told ANI News. "After about 20 seconds, I realized that it was a terrorist attack and people on the ground are being killed. I saw 5-6 people getting shot."
Ziplining Tourist
The tourist did like any sensible person in that situation. As soon as he finished ziplining, he quickly evacuated the area with his family. It's only lucky that no one took aim at him as he zoomed across the area. "I unlatched my belt and jumped down, took my wife and son and started running away," he said. "We saw people hiding at a spot which was like a pit, so you could not spot someone easily there. We too hid there."
Authorities blamed militants opposed to India's control over the region as the ones behind the deadly attack. The ziplining tourist said he and his family barely survived themselves. "The firing started again and 4-5 people were shot. 15-16 tourists were shot in front of us," he told ANI News.
Politicians have also condemned the attack and promised to find those responsible for the violence.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, "I strongly condemn the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. All possible assistance is being provided to those affected."
