Imam Abdul Basit used the mosque’s microphone to alert the village at dawn, mobilising locals to rescue those trapped in a sinking vehicle
NEW DELHI — In a heroic act, Imam Abdul Basit, a cleric at a local mosque in Assam’s Sribhumi District, saved the lives of seven people trapped in a sinking vehicle. The vehicle had plunged into a pond early Tuesday, with passengers asleep and windows shut.
Imam Basit used the mosque’s microphone to alert the village at dawn, mobilising locals to rescue those trapped. His prompt action helped save the lives of all seven individuals, all Hindus. The villagers’ timely intervention ensured everyone’s safety, earning Imam Basit widespread praise for his selfless act.
“I saw the lights of the car under the water and knew we had to act immediately,” media reports reaching here quoted Imam Basit as saying.
Within minutes, residents from the neighbourhood ran to the pond, jumped into the cold water, broke the car’s windows and pulled all seven passengers out before the vehicle submerged completely. The rescued passengers were travelling from Silchar to Tripura.
Prominent cleric Maulana Abdul Hafeez praised Imam Basit’s quick thinking. “This is a true message of humanity,” he said.
Imam Basit said he acted instinctively. “We did not think about religion or anything else. The priority was to save lives,” he said.
The rescue has been widely appreciated in the area. Iqbal, a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, visited Imam Basit to thank him, and police officials have said they will recommend that he be formally honoured.
