Gurdaspur Terror Attack: A Bus Driver Saved Lives of More than 70 Passengers

Image Courtesy: HT Photo

The alertness and bravery of a bus driver 47-year-old Punjab Roadways driver Nanak Chand Sharma saved several lives as terrorists launched an attack on Gurdaspur district of Punjab which left 3 civilians and 4 policemen dead.
Punjab Roadways driver Nanak Chand did not panic even when the terrorists fired at the bus and instead scared the terrorists by driving towards them.

As the terrorists, numbering four, moved back, the driver swerved the bus and drove it away. Since shots were fired at the bus, Nanak Chand drove it straight to a government hospital to get the injured passengers treated. He also called up the police to inform about the incident.

“There were 75 passengers in the bus. I thought that it was important to save their lives. I did not stop the bus,” Nanak Chand told journalists.

The incident took place around 5:30am on Monday.

“The driver’s alertness saved several lives. Otherwise, the passengers could have been an easy target for the terrorists,” said a Punjab Roadways general manager as reported in Deccan Herald.

After he was appreciated for his presence of mind and quick decision making- Nanak Chand Sharma said, “I also got calls from my teenaged son and daughter who were worried about my safety. It is part of my duty to keep the passengers safe. I have been driving the bus for the past five years on this route.”

The office of Punjab CM Sukhbir Singh Badal announced that Nanak Chand Sharma will be honoured by the state government for saving lives of so many passengers from the hands of terrorists.