Baripada: In a major relief for her family, Baripada girl Kulsum Nigar, who had gone missing amid the devastating flash floods in Nepal, has safely returned home to Mayurbhanj district.
Kulsum had been reported missing after the flash floods that struck Nepal on August 26. Her family had been unable to establish contact with her following the disaster, prompting the Odisha government to alert the Ministry of External Affairs and initiate efforts to trace her.
She was later located safely and returned to India on Saturday. Her family confirmed on Monday that she had reached home safely, bringing an end to days of anxiety and uncertainty.
Kulsum was not the only person from Odisha caught up in the disaster. Other members of her group also returned safely to their respective homes, bringing further relief to their families.
Another Odisha tourist, Deepika Ekka of Sundargarh district, who survived the flash floods, also returned to India on Saturday.
On the other hand, several tourists from Odisha who narrowly escaped the devastating floods in Nepal have safely reached Kolkata, bringing immense relief and happiness to their families. The tourists are expected to reach Bhadrak Railway Station at around 7 p.m. today.
A total of 51 tourists and travel staff, including 43 tourists from Kerala, had been stranded in Nepal amid the catastrophic flooding. All of them have now been safely evacuated.
While 43 tourists from Kerala returned home yesterday, the remaining members of the group reached Gorakhpur Airport in Uttar Pradesh yesterday through arrangements made by the Nepal government. They then travelled by air and reached Kolkata at around 12.30 p.m. today. They are scheduled to travel onward to Bhadrak by train.
The group had travelled to Nepal through Kailash Travellers, operated by Kailash Biswal of Nalgunda panchayat in Chandbali block, with its base in Kolkata.
Before the devastating floods struck, the group had taken shelter near the Manakamana Temple. The group comprised 43 tourists from Kerala, travel operator Kailash Biswal, five cooks, Chandbali resident Tuna Dash and Kolkata resident Sourav Banerjee, among others.
The group was staying at a lodge near the Trishuli River when the situation suddenly became dangerous. As the river swelled and floodwaters surged following landslides, Nepal Police and local authorities immediately evacuated them from the area.
The tourists were taken by ropeway to Bhairahawa, where they stayed at a small lodge before arrangements were made for their return to India.
The floodwaters reportedly surged into the Trishuli River system through the Lehandkhola and Bhote Koshi river systems in Rasuwa district, causing widespread devastation.
The group had originally planned to travel by road from Kathmandu to the mountainous areas, around 200 km away. However, when the sudden flood struck, they were forced to turn their vehicle around while travelling along the riverbed and race back nearly 70 km to safety.
The tourists said they could see the devastating floodwaters and muddy currents rapidly following them as they drove away from the affected area.
Recalling the frightening experience, Tuna Dash, alias Ramesh Dash, of Nalgunda in Chandbali, said the group was fortunate to have escaped with their lives.
The safe return of the tourists has brought enormous relief to their families, who had been anxiously waiting for news amid the devastating flood situation in Nepal.
The floods, which devastated several parts of Nepal after a glacial collapse, have caused widespread loss of life and infrastructure. According to the latest update from Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 903 bodies have been recovered, while 4,247 people remain unaccounted for, including 592 foreign nationals.
Chitwan district has recorded the highest number of recovered bodies, with 272. Authorities have collected DNA samples from unidentified bodies before burying many of them to facilitate identification at a later stage. Unidentified bodies are also being kept at hospitals in different districts.
The disaster has also left 267 people injured, while more than 10,000 people have been rescued so far. More than 20,000 security personnel have been deployed for search, rescue and relief operations.
Among those still unaccounted for are hundreds of workers associated with hydropower projects along the affected river corridors. Indian and Chinese technical teams have joined rescue efforts to reach people believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels.
For Kulsum’s family, however, the safe return of their daughter has brought immense relief after several days of fear and uncertainty.
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