Daijiworld Media Network-Panaji

Panaji, Apr 23: Over 50 tourists from Goa are currently stranded in Jammu and Kashmir, following the terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday that left at least 26 people dead and several others injured. The group, on vacation in the Valley, has been safely moved to hotels in Srinagar, Goa government officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The attack, which unfolded at the scenic Baisaran meadows in Pahalgam—often dubbed 'Mini Switzerland'—targeted tourists enjoying pony rides and picnics. Officials said the terrorists opened fire indiscriminately, causing panic among visitors and locals.

According to Goa Adventure Club’s co-founder Ahraz Mulla, their agency had organized a trip for 34 tourists to Pahalgam and another 12-member group to Jammu. While the Jammu group is now stranded due to a landslide and unavailability of flights, the Pahalgam group was immediately shifted to Srinagar after the incident.

Mulla said the group had arrived on April 17 and was scheduled to return on April 24. “They were in the Pahalgam market at the time of the attack and were supposed to visit Baisaran point afterward,” he noted.

Daxal Naik, who runs Travel Bug Tours and Travels in Panaji, confirmed another group of 26 tourists booked through his agency was also present in the area and has since been moved to Srinagar. “They were having lunch in the market when the firing started,” he said. Their trip began on April 21, with a return planned for April 26.

Efforts are underway to arrange early return flights, but seat availability remains a challenge, said the tour operators. For now, all tourists are being safely accommodated in hotels, with the Goa government and private agencies working together to bring them home.

Officials have reiterated that all Goan tourists are safe, and coordination with authorities continues to expedite their return in light of the tense security situation.