A Pakistani expatriate working in Oman has been hailed for rescuing two Indian nationals from a car swept into floodwaters near Barka, in a dramatic incident captured on video and widely shared on social media.
The rescue took place on Sunday at around 4pm as heavy rain triggered by a low-pressure system battered parts of Oman, where at least 10 people were reported dead and dozens rescued after wadis overflowed and floodwaters swept through residential and low-lying areas, according to Muscat Daily.
The man who carried out the rescue was identified as 25-year-old Shahzad Khan, a Pakistani worker from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa currently based in Barka.
According to Khan, hundreds of people had gathered near the flooded wadi, many of them filming the scene, when a car trying to cross was caught in the current.
“Suddenly, we saw a car attempting to cross, but it got stuck. People were watching and making videos, but I could see passengers inside crying for help,” he told Muscat Daily.
In the viral footage, Khan, wearing a brown kurta, can be seen climbing onto the half-submerged vehicle. He said his first attempt to break the windows with his legs failed, after which he used stones to shatter the glass.
“I didn’t think of anything, no nationality, no religion. I just saw people in danger,” he said. “One man was already sinking and the other was struggling. Water had already filled half the car.”
BBC Urdu reported that the car was swept along by the current and came to a halt after hitting a bridge pillar. Eyewitness Bismillah Jan said Shahzad Khan was standing beside him when the vehicle appeared in the torrent.
“He was standing right next to me. A strong torrent was passing through. Suddenly, we saw a car being swept away in the water, and the next moment Shahzad ran towards it,” he said.
“We all tried to stop him, but he did not stop. When the car came to a halt, I was the one who gave him stones to break the lock.”
Khan said there were around 300 to 400 people at the site, but the water was so dangerous that no one dared go near the vehicle.
He added that the incident brought back memories of the Swat tragedy in Pakistan, when people trapped in floodwaters were not rescued in time.
“Before my eyes, the Swat tragedy came alive again,” he told BBC Urdu.
The Swat incident occurred last year when 17 members of a family from Sialkot were swept away by a sudden surge in the Swat River while picnicking near the riverbank. Harrowing videos circulated on social media showed the family stranded on a rapidly shrinking island of land, calling for help for nearly an hour with no immediate rescue in sight.
Khan eventually managed to pull both Indian occupants out of the vehicle, and people standing above helped haul them to safety.
“God gave me the responsibility and the courage. It was pure instinct. I just acted,” he told Muscat Daily.
Shandar Bukhari, Social Welfare Director at the Pakistan Social Club, said the incident came to wider attention through social media.
“We verified the incident and reached out to him. His efforts are truly commendable, and we will ensure he is recognised both by the embassy and within the community once the situation stabilises,” Bukhari said.
