BATTAGRAM: Victims of the Allai tehsil chairlift incident have expressed their gratitude to Allah upon being rescued. Gulfaraz, one of the stranded persons who is a shopkeeper, had played a key role in keeping the students calm and under control during this challenging ordeal.Gulfaraz’s brother said that he contacted the family as soon as he got stranded in the chairlift.
“Gulfaraz informed us after being rescued that they were suspended in the air for 16 hours. During this time, they were provided with only one bottle of water and two packets of biscuits,” he said. Gulfaraz also managed to prevent students from jumping from the chairlift, he added.
Niaz Muhammad, one of the trapped students, said: “I never want to experience anything like this again in my life. Although I will certainly continue going to school, this incident was so traumatic that we felt lifeless.”
Among these children, Rizwanullah was slightly younger but managed to cope better after being rescued. “When we were in the chairlift, we couldn’t bear to look down because all we saw was death below us. It felt like we were awaiting our demise,” Rizwanullah said:
Niaz Muhammad revealed that the day of the accident was also the day he was expecting the results of his board examination, which he learned about upon safely returning home.
The chairlift also carried Attaullah, Osama, Irfanullah, and Abrar Ahmed. A member of Abrar Ahmed’s family expressed their relief, saying, “We are incredibly thankful that our children returned to us unharmed. We had almost lost hope of seeing them alive.”
Omar Zeb, Niaz Mohammad’s father, stated: “I held my breath until my son’s feet touched the ground. Once he was rescued, we felt reassured that he was alive.”
He emphasised that despite the exam results being released during that time, their primary concern was their child’s survival. “Our focus was solely on our child’s well-being, not the exam results,” Niaz Muhammad’s father affirmed.
Niaz Muhammad said: “There was a sense of turmoil all around my house. As soon as I entered the house, I was warmly welcomed, and everyone embraced me.”
