THIS is the staggering moment a smiling tourist ziplines over the scene of a bloody terror attack, accidentally documenting the horror.
Gunmen mowed down 36 people – killing 26 – in Kashmir, India last week, but this adventurer was blissfully unaware.
X/Osint613Rishi Bhatt recorded as gunmen opened fire on tourists in the meadow below[/caption]
X/Osint613Rishi could have been targeted if he were not high up on a zip line[/caption]
APParamedics carry a wounded tourist to hospital after the mass shooting[/caption]
Rishi Bhatt recorded himself soaring over the Baisaran meadow near Pahalgam, northern India, last Tuesday, while fellow tourists were murdered below.
Decked out in sunglasses and a safety helmet, the holidaymaker beams as he is fitted to the zip line by instructors.
A large, grassy plain filled with people comes into view as he spins and sails through the air.
Tourists stand in clusters around the field sharing food, playing sports and even zorbing.
But then – halfway through the ride – gunshots ring out and shatter the peace.
Terrified families sprint across the grass in a desperate attempt to flee the bloodbath.
Rishi continues smiling into the camera, unaware that gunmen have leapt from the bushes and opened fire beneath him.
He told local media that he could have been killed if he were not out of harm’s way on the zip line.
Police said at least four gunmen fired at dozens of terrified tourists from close range.
Officers described the mass shooting as a “terror attack” and blamed it on Pakistani militants.
They said two Pakistani “terrorists” have been identified and a manhunt is underway to find them.
Pakistan has denied any involvement.
Officials collected at least 26 bodies in the Baisaran meadow, just 5km from the disputed resort town of Pahalgam.
One witness, who saw the horror unfold, said: “I cannot say how many, but the militants came out of the forest near an open small meadow and started firing.”
The man, who provides ponies for tourists, said the gunfire was “like a storm” and added that the gunmen “very clearly spared women and kept shooting at men”.
The episode plunged relations between the neighbouring nations to new lows, with Pakistan banning Indian planes from its airspace.
And tensions have spiralled further over the past week – including opposing soldiers firing on each other – prompting fears of all-out war.
APIndian security officers stands guard at a hospital treating the wounded[/caption]
ReutersIndian police officers man a checkpoint as they search for the assailants[/caption]
AlamyAn Indian military helicopter patrols the area in the aftermath[/caption]
Indian PM Narendra Modi dubbed the shooting a “heinous act” and vowed the attackers “will be brought to justice” after cutting his visit to Saudi Arabia short to return to India.
The killings coincided with US Vice President JD Vance arriving for his four-day visit to India.
Calling the attack “devastating,” he added on social media: “Over the past few days, we have been overcome with the beauty of this country and its people.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn this horrific attack.”
US President Donald Trump also noted the “deeply disturbing news out of Kashmir”.
He said: “The United States stands strong with India against terrorism.
“We pray for the souls of those lost, and for the recovery of the injured.
“Prime Minister Modi, and the incredible people of India, have our full support and deepest sympathies.”