Not all heroes wear capes; in flood-hit Telangana, a 'hero' drove a bulldozer

Special powers do not make superheroes. It’s how they use their limited powers that makes superheroes out of common humans. Subhan Khan is one of them.

The man from Haryana, who now lives in Telangana, does not have any superpowers. He simply drives a bulldozer. But his presence of mind and the courage to risk his own life to save nine by using that simple bulldozer are winning hearts.

How nine people got stranded

Amid Telangana’s devastating floods, nine people were trapped on the Prakash Nagar bridge in Khammam district as the water level of the Munneru river rose. There was a woman and a child too, along with an elderly man, among those nine.

Marooned on a small, dry stretch on the bridge, they recorded a video and requested the state government to rescue them. The government sent a helicopter, but it could not reach the bridge due to bad weather.

Nine lives versus one

Realising that no official help was forthcoming, Khan decided to use his bulldozer to rescue the marooned people. Expectedly, his family and well-wishers warned him of the risks and tried to deter him from going. But Khan had made up his mind.

“If I die, it is one life, but if I return, I will save nine,” Khan reportedly said before setting off on his bulldozer. He managed to rescue all nine stranded people and return to safety even in pitch darkness. As the bulldozer returned, they were greeted with loud cheers from the crowd that had gathered to witness this heroic rescue act.

Daughter’s pride

In the video that has gone viral on social media, a girl, likely Khan’s daughter, can be heard saying, “I am shivering. My daddy did what he set out to do.”

Khan is, deservingly, earning massive praise and adulations from people in Telangana as well as online. His phone hasn’t stopped ringing, and former minister KT Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, was also one of the callers.

KTR’s call

The BRS leader posted on X about the call. “Just congratulated him on the phone. It just isn’t just about lot of guts, you need a heart to be a true hero. You, my brother Subhan Khan have saved so many families from a life long pain by helping these nine people (sic),” he wrote.

“When the govt themselves were thinking if and how they should get a helicopter to rescue, you walked into danger and saved them all. Salute to your big heart and an amazing grit! Will surely meet you once I am back. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Rao added. He is currently in the US.