A Govt School Teacher Who Saved More Than 60 Students & 45 Pilgrims When No Rescue Team Was Around
By Imran Shah
CHISHOTI (Kishtwar): DD, In the haunting silence that followed the thunderous roar of the August 14 Chishoti cloudburst, one man’s presence of mind saved dozens of lives. Hukam Chand, a government school teacher at Middle School Chishoti, risked everything to rescue more than 60 of his students and at least 45 pilgrims when disaster struck and no formal rescue teams were on the ground.
But the man who became the lifeline for many was himself grieving—he lost three members of his own family, including his brother, in the same tragedy that has left 65 dead, scores injured, and many still missing.
“At First, I Thought It Was a Plane Crash”
That afternoon, Chand was overseeing rehearsals for Independence Day and Janmashtami celebrations. His students, busy with cultural decorations and patriotic speeches, had been invited for lunch at a community kitchen nearby. Ironically, their delay in completing the final rehearsal saved their lives. The kitchen site, where they were supposed to be at 2 p.m., was wiped out minutes later—the epicenter of death and destruction.
“Suddenly we heard a terrifying sound. Some students rushed outside, thinking something had happened. I told them, ‘Don’t run out—have you seen a plane? Maybe it’s just a helicopter for the Yatra,’” Chand recalled in an exclusive conversation with Diplomat Digital.
Moments later, the electricity went off. Then came the massive explosion-like noise. “When I rushed to the gate, I saw a huge mudslide sweeping down—carrying even human body parts. It was beyond imagination,” he said.
Guiding Students to Safety
Panic set in. But Chand acted swiftly. He pulled minor children inside and instructed older students to take them up towards the higher fields. “We had only minutes. The villagers raised an alarm, and I knew waiting was not an option. Every second mattered,” he narrated.
Thanks to his calm instructions, all 60 students made it safely to higher ground. Soon, frantic parents arrived at the school, only to learn their children were already in safe hands.
Saving Pilgrims in the Chaos
But Chand’s bravery did not stop there. With the help of local drivers and villagers, he went on to rescue more than 45 stranded pilgrims and tourists who were caught in the raging mudslides. Using vehicles and makeshift support, they pulled people out of debris and shifted them to safer locations.
“In those first hours, there was no administration, no big rescue teams—just us locals. Despite our own losses, we couldn’t abandon the injured and trapped,” he said.
A Village That Narrowly Escaped Greater Tragedy
The cruel twist of fate—students being “late” for their community lunch—became the difference between life and death. Among the rehearsing students was even a young girl who had prepared a speech on “how to survive in natural disasters.” Hours later, she and her classmates would be living that lesson in real life.
For Chand, hailed now as a hero in the village, the scars remain raw. “I saved many, but I lost my own brother. I don’t know whether to call myself lucky or unfortunate,” he said, his voice breaking.
Unsung Heroes of Chishoti
In the darkest hours before official rescue operations gained momentum, ordinary villagers like Hukam Chand became extraordinary heroes. With presence of mind, courage, and sacrifice, they shielded hundreds from certain death.
As the community buries its dead and searches for the missing, stories like these remind us that in the face of nature’s fury, humanity and courage shine the brightest.(DD)
