I watched bombs hit my city as a child and when I came to Australia I watched in horror as people were massacred near my office. Then my ‘near-death’ moments gave me a game-changing business idea…
Two traumatic ‘near-death experiences’ inspired father-of-two Rashid Khan to develop a groundbreaking evacuation safety app designed to save lives.
As a nine-year-old boy living in Pakistan, he led eighteen children to safety during the Ojhri camp disaster on April 10, 1988, when an arms depot exploded, killing 192 and injuring thousands.
While working at National Australia Bank in Melbourne in 2017, he witnessed the Bourke Street Mall tragedy that shook the country when a car deliberately rammed into pedestrians, killing six people.
He was just 20 meters away from the massacre and could hear people screaming, followed by shots.
Now he is the proud CEO and founder of Evacovation and has won CEO Magazine’s Start-Up Executive of the Year award.
‘We live in a modern world where our phones are always within reach – why not use technology to better protect people? We should do that too,” Mr Khan told FEMAIL.
Father-of-two Rashid Khan survived two tragedies that led to the development of safety app Evacovation (pictured with wife Kanwa and twins Hania Khan and Rayyan)
At just nine years old, he led eighteen children to safety during the Ojhri camp disaster in 1988, when an arms depot exploded. He then witnessed the Bourke Street Mall tragedy in 2017 when a car deliberately drove into pedestrians
Pictured at age nine in Pakistan
On that terrible day in 1988, he came home from school because he wasn’t feeling well. He was home alone at the time.
Everything was peaceful and relaxing until he heard a loud bang around 10am.
‘I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a terrible day. Everything happened so suddenly and I did what I had to do,” he recalled.
An accidental explosion took place at the World War II weapons and ammunition depot between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, causing fear and panic among thousands.
A fire caused a low-density explosion, followed by a massive explosion that sent missiles, rockets, and projectiles shooting into the air. Some of them crashed into buildings.
“The whole city was terrified because bombs were coming everywhere,” Khan said.
In 1988, a fire in Pakistan caused a low-density explosion followed by a massive explosion, sending missiles, rockets and projectiles into the air. Some of them crashed into a building
Across the street from his house was a small elementary school where he heard the screams of young children.
Despite being a young boy himself, he ran to the school and led 18 children in Year 1 to the safety of their homes.
It was an hour of hell running through the back streets, keeping an eye out for explosives and making sure no child was left behind.
Looking back, Mr Khan said he ‘did what he had to do’ – and thankfully he did because a missile hit the school building afterwards.
When he decided to leave home, his parents were concerned, but they were very happy to see him return.
His heroic act was also recognized by his teacher and this recognition paved the way for what would come later in his life.
“There was a real appreciation for what I was doing within the community, which stuck with me and I realized I wanted to continue helping people,” he said.
Flash forward to January 2017, when Mr Khan was working for NAB. He and his colleagues were returning to the office after a team lunch when disaster struck.
Innocent bystanders were mowed down and killed in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. James Gargasoulas had been on the rampage in a stolen car when he crashed and killed six people, including a boy and a young girl, in Bourke Street.
In 2017, innocent bystanders were mowed down and murdered in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. James Gargasoulas had been on the rampage in a stolen car when he crashed and killed six people, including a boy and a young girl, in Bourke Street
Pictured: People hugging each other on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Street after a car plowed through pedestrians on January 20, 2017
“As we entered the building, we heard sounds from outside and watched everything unfold. It was traumatic,” Mr Khan said.
‘The outside of the building was glass, you could see what was happening from inside and at higher levels. That’s why we told the people on the ground floor to stay indoors. Many people needed guidance afterwards.’
The devastating incident served as a catalyst for Mr. Khan’s vision and desire to create an innovative emergency management solution.
“What triggered me most was why we don’t have a system to communicate with others and save lives,” Mr Khan said.
‘In such a situation, people from outside could, for example, have warned others not to come outside or to be aware of the danger that was coming.
“We don’t have a system and we need one.”
This is where evacuation intervenes.
The devastating situations served as a catalyst for Mr. Khan’s vision and desire to create an innovative emergency management solution
The app also won CEO Magazine’s Start-Up Executive of the Year award
The app connects all responsible people to a specific chain of command to ensure employees are safe during an emergency.
The service covers six core emergencies, from fire evacuations to flooding and external factors such as shootings. There are also educational modules.
Mr Khan wants to ensure that all evacuation procedures go smoothly so that no lives are lost.
But while the app is free, an employer must create an account for individuals to log in and use the service.
Mr Khan also thanked his wife of 14 years, Kanwal, who had her constant support during his business venture.
CEO Magazine founder Chris Dutton said: “Rashid’s journey is an example of the transformative power of innovation and commitment in the pursuit of creating safer, more resilient communities.
“His vision and leadership have earned him the title of Startup Executive of the Year, a testament to his profound impact in the field of emergency management technology.”