A bus driver’s quick decision may have saved two travellers from a flash flood near Nepal’s Kerung border. Anukul Poddar and his wife, Reba, were heading toward Tibet when the danger struck.
The couple had travelled about one hour from the immigration centre. Around 9:30 am on Wednesday, the driver stopped the bus. He warned that a flash flood had hit the area. He then refused to continue on the same road. Shortly after the bus turned toward Kathmandu, floodwaters washed away the stretch where they had stopped.
Anukul later described a cloud moving down the gorge and a hissing sound. At that moment, the group did not know the scale of damage at the Kerung immigration centre. The driver did not wait. He took another route and drove the passengers to Kathmandu. The journey from that point took about two hours.
Minutes later, the travellers saw schoolchildren, local residents and vehicles rushing uphill. People were screaming as they ran. The scene showed how quickly the situation had changed.
The Poddars later learned that another couple from their hometown had already reached the immigration centre. That couple has remained missing since the flood.
Anukul and Reba, both 66, live in Basirhat in West Bengal. They were part of a pilgrim group called The Cholo Jai. The group left Kolkata on August 21 for the Kailash-Manasarovar journey. On Wednesday, they were scheduled to enter Tibet.
Another couple from Basirhat, Swapan Mondal and his wife Mou, also retired schoolteachers, travelled with a different agency. They are known to the Poddars. Their group reached the immigration centre earlier. Swapan last sent a good morning message to Anukul at 8:30 am. The message included a photograph of the couple at the immigration office. There has been no contact since then.
The two families usually travel together with the same agency. This year, a delay in Anukul’s passport renewal caused them to miss the original deadline. As a result, the Poddars joined the Cholo Jai team. The Mondals had to travel with another agency. Both groups still started on August 21 and boarded the same train.
The Mondals’ team left Kathmandu on Tuesday and headed toward Kerung. They were supposed to stay overnight and reach the immigration office at 8:30 am. The Poddars’ team left Kathmandu early on Wednesday. Their scheduled arrival was around 10:30 am.
State officials later said at least 39 people from West Bengal were reported missing. Family members and the administration then managed to contact the Poddar couple.
On Saturday, the Poddars reached Raxaul in Bihar from Biratnagar in Nepal with other members of their team. They boarded the Mithila Express and were scheduled to reach Howrah early on Sunday.
Officials had directed police to arrange flight tickets for the couple. However, the pair had already reached Biratnagar. Returning to Kathmandu for a flight would have taken more time. Therefore, they chose to travel by train.
Their son, Satyaki Poddar, lives in New Town. He said the couple remains in shock. He added that they may stay with family for some days. There is still no news of the Mondal family. Relatives continue to hope for their safe return.
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