'A Kashmiri won’t care for flames if a life can be saved': Ulfat Dar recalls his heroic Nowgam blast rescue

Srinagar, Nov 15: In the tragic Nowgam Police Station blast, a private hospital security guard emerged as an unlikely hero, the first to rush to the scene in an ambulance, and initiated the transport of the injured to save lives.

When I heard the blast, I could sense there had been some tragedy. I thought to myself, maybe it was a cylinder blast in some home, or a car accident,” says Dar Ulfat, the young security guard of Ujala Cygnus Hospital.

Ulfat suggested to the ambulance driver on duty that they take a drive and check if someone needed help at the spot, a couple of minutes after the blast, while flames appeared to be going wild and violent. “When I reached and saw the police station up in flames, I rushed in to see if someone was injured,” he said.

Asked how he could brave the violent flames, he said, “A Kashmiri will not care for flames, if someone’s life can be saved,” he says. Ulfat said a fire engine reached the site soon after and, together with the help of the driver and a few people who arrived, ferried 10 injured to Ujala Cygnus for treatment, just in one trip.  The second trip followed, again transporting the injured.

“Soon, we had transported all the injured people to the hospital,” Ulfat said. He had informed his manager about the massive devastation when he reached the spot. A team of doctors and paramedics had already prepared for the mass scale of injuries at the Hospital.

Dr Parvez Sofi, the Manager of Ujala Cygnus, said he reached the hospital immediately, and his team of doctors, radiologists, surgeons and other critical staff also reached in time.

“We were able to save the people whom we received, all of them, by the grace of the Almighty,” he said.

Dr Sofi said three people received from the incident site were admitted to the ICU. “One of them has a brain injury, but is stable,” he said. Dr Sofi appreciated the presence of mind and bravery of the Hospital’s security guard. “His courage is exemplary. He did not think twice before rushing into the flames to get the injured out, not just to safety, but to the hospital,” he said.

The Hospital is located in the proximity of the Police Station Nowgam, and was perhaps the reason that more lives have been saved. “The response was immediate; that is what matters in case of emergencies,” Dr Sofi said. The ambulance made around 10 trips to the site of the blast. In all, the Hospital received 23 injured, three of whom were discharged from the emergency. When this report was filed, 20 injured were received treatment at the hospital.