Bengaluru: Call it luck or providence, a group of 90 tourists from villages in and around Thubagere in Doddaballapur taluk, Karnataka, escaped the jaws of death at the hands of Islamic terrorists by a turn of events. They were on a tour of Jammu and Kashmir, have been reported safe after a terrorist attack occurred near their originally planned stay in Pahalgam.

The group, comprising residents from villages such as Thirumagondanahalli, Hadonahalli, Vaddarahalli, Lakshmidevipura, Timmojanahalli, Thubagere, Hiremuddenahalli, and Nelagudige, had embarked on a nine-day trip to the northern state. Their itinerary included visits to several tourist destinations in Kashmir.

Initially, the tourists had hotel bookings near Baisaran, close to Pahalgam, where the terror strike took place. However, due to a landslide en route, the group altered their plans and headed to the Vaishno Devi shrine instead. “We had to change our route because of the landslide blocking access to Pahalgam. Fortunately, this meant we avoided the area where the attack later occurred,” one of the travellers told.

The trip had already faced delays due to unspecified reasons. The group had departed for Delhi from Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru in multiple batches on April 19 through a local travel agency. They later regrouped in Amritsar, where they adjusted their travel plans and proceeded to Srinagar after sightseeing locally.

Thubagere's former gram panchayat president, Rajkumar from Hiremuddenahalli, who is accompanying the group, confirmed their safety and current whereabouts. “Everyone is safe. We diverted the trip after the disruption and are now continuing our journey to Kullu and Manali,” he said.

The incident has brought relief to families and local authorities in Doddaballapur taluk, who had been concerned following reports of violence in the Kashmir Valley.