Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: A 41-year-old youth from Odisha was among the victims of a terror attack that occurred this afternoon at the Pahalgam hill station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Per media reports, the deceased Odia youth, Prasant Kumar Satpathy, hailed from Ishani village in Balasore district. He had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir with his wife and son on April 19 for a vacation.

Sources said Prasant Kumar Satpathy was working as Accountant at the CIPET, Balasore.

Speaking to the media, one of Prasant’s relatives said, “Prasant’s wife called a few hours ago and informed us that his body has been taken by the Army for post-mortem.”

In a phone interview with a news channel, Priyadarshini, Prasant’s wife, recounted the terrifying moment. She said while the family was aligthing from a ropeway in Baisran area, sudden gunfire erupted. Prasant was hit by a bullet and collapsed on the spot.

The Anantnag Police Control Room has confirmed Prashant Satpathy’s death in the incident.

The Anantnag police’s dedicated help desk contact details: 9596777669, 01932225870, WhatsApp 9419051940.

Among the tourists who were the victim of the terror attack were mainly from Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka States.

Over 26 persons, including tourists and locals, were feared dead in the terror attack in in the Baisran area of Pahalgam hill station. Among the deceased were two foreign nationals and two local residents.

Per reports, two to three terrorists wearing army fatigues came and fired at tourists in the Baisran area around 2.30 p.m. Baisran is a small meadow 3 to 4 km from the Pahalgam market, and tourists take horses to reach the place as there is no motorable road to it.

“The injured have been shifted to Pahalgam hospital, from where those with critical injuries were shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment," an official said.

The area has been cordoned off by the security forces to trace the assailants.

Sources said the casualty figure is feared to rise.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, had a telephonic conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the wake of the terror attack and asked him to take all suitable measures. The Home Minister rushed to the terror attack site.

J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha expressed shock at the incident, but assured that those responsible for the attack will be brought to justice. 

This is the first terrorist attack on tourists in the Kashmir Valley in 2025, even as a booming tourist season is presently going on in the Valley.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi strongly condemned the terror attack and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. He also directed the Chief Resident Commissioner to ensure that the body of the Odia youth killed in the attack is brought back to his home without any hassle.