Army Turns First Responders, Rescues Multiple Lives

Abid Bashir
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21 Apr 2026

‘Saw bodies of injured, used recovery methods to pull out those alive’

Srinagar, April 20: In the hills of Udhampur district, where winding roads cut through steep slopes, a routine military movement on Monday morning turned into a massive rescue operation that saved many lives.

At around 9:40 am, soldiers of the 37 Mountain Brigade were travelling from Udhampur towards Ramnagar for a scheduled exercise when a horrifying sight unfolded before them—a passenger bus losing control at a blind curve near Kagort village and plunging down the hillside.

What followed was not hesitation, but instinct. “We saw the bus rolling down… and we immediately rushed to the spot,” a soldier of the 37 Mountain Brigade told reporters at the site of the incident. “There was no time to think. We just ran.”

The men, trained for combat in harsh terrains, found themselves battling a different kind of emergency. Without waiting for reinforcements, they climbed down into the gorge, navigating twisted metal, shattered glass and desperate cries for help.

“In the first 30 minutes, we saw over 20 bodies,” the soldier said. “We didn’t count, but the scene was devastating.” Amid the wreckage, there were flickers of life. Using improvised rescue methods, the soldiers began pulling out survivors—some trapped, others critically injured.

“A young boy and a woman with severe abdominal injuries were among those rescued. We saved around six to seven people before any other help arrived,” he said. “We kept going till locals and ambulances arrived.” The accident left at least 21 people dead and 29 others injured.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos—the thud of the crash, dust rising from the gorge, and soldiers scrambling down the slope without a second thought. “They didn’t wait. They just ran to save people,” a local said. Even after rescue teams arrived, the soldiers continued to assist—carrying the injured, consoling survivors and helping retrieve bodies with quiet determination.