Kashmir Trip Turns Stressful for Wakad Families After Terror Attack, Seven-Hour Wait at Airport Leads to Financial Loss

Pune: A peaceful family vacation turned into an ordeal for two families from Santosh Nagar, Wakad, when a sudden terrorist attack in Pahalgam disrupted their plans in Jammu and Kashmir. Following the incident, the families were forced to cancel the rest of their trip and spend nearly seven hours stranded at Srinagar airport, dealing with uncertainty, stress, and financial loss.

Shailesh Borse, one of the travelers, shared the distressing experience: “We had visited the Vaishno Devi shrine just a day before and reached Srinagar on Tuesday night. But after hearing about the terror attack in Pahalgam, we immediately cancelled our remaining travel plans. The atmosphere was tense, and we felt returning home was the safest choice.”

The group consisted of Shailesh Borse, his family members Rupali, Mahika, Sparsh, and Sagar, along with Urmila Bagul and her son Sharvil. Their trip, organized by a private travel company, was originally planned to continue until Monday, April 28.

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“The journey back from Vaishno Devi took longer than expected due to the narrow, snow-covered roads,” Borse added. “But once the news of the attack came in, we made the collective decision to cut the trip short and return to Pune.”

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The families waited at Srinagar airport from morning until 4 PM, when they finally boarded a flight to Delhi. They had a connecting flight scheduled for Pune at 9:30 PM and expected to return home late that night.

According to Borse, although the Pune district administration offered support, the travel company has refused to accept responsibility for the disruption. “The attack has had a serious impact on tourism in Kashmir. We not only lost money but also faced immense mental stress. The travel agency is not stepping up, and now we’re left wondering who will compensate us for our losses.”

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