Baripada (Mayurbhanj): After days of anxiety and uncertainty, 20-year-old Kulsum Nigar of Baripada returned home safely from Nepal on Monday (August 31), bringing immense relief to her family. Kulsum had lost contact with her family for nearly two days while travelling in Nepal, amid network disruptions and the flash flood situation in parts of the country.Kulsum had left Baripada for Nepal on August 21 as part of a nine-member trekking group. The group had travelled to Dhorpatan in Baglung district, around 400 km from the areas affected by the recent flash floods.Her family became increasingly worried after they were unable to establish contact with her for nearly two days. With no information about her whereabouts or safety, the family approached the administration and sought help to ensure her safe return.Their anxiety eased on August 29 when Kulsum managed to establish contact and sent an audio message to her family from Dhorpatan. She informed them that she and the other members of the group were safe.Kulsum began her return journey from Dhorpatan on the evening of August 29. She first travelled to Pokhara and then proceeded by bus to Raxaul on the India-Nepal border. From Raxaul, she boarded the Mithila Express for Kolkata. On Monday, she travelled by bus from Kolkata to Baripada and finally reached home safely.Speaking about her experience, Kulsum said the group had initially faced no difficulties and had been travelling according to their plans. However, communication became a major problem after they reached Dhorpatan. “Due to network issues, we were not aware of the situation. Whenever we got a network connection, we came to know what was happening, and we were very scared. We were a team of nine. I knew Deepika (32) from Bhubaneswar, and we were travelling together. Deepika’s friends had also come from other states,” Kulsum said.“We first went to Pokhara and then planned to travel across Nepal. Everything started very well as planned. But when we reached Dhorpatan, there were network issues. That was also the day the flash flood occurred, and we could not contact our families. We did not know what had happened. Finally, on August 29, we got network connectivity and informed our families that we were safe,” she added.Kulsum’s return brought an end to the family’s anxious wait. Her family members expressed relief and happiness after seeing her safely back home.Meanwhile, devastating flash floods hit parts of Nepal on August 26, with Rasuwa district near the Nepal-Tibet border among the worst-affected areas. The flooding was reportedly triggered by a suspected glacier collapse or ice-rock avalanche, sending a huge surge of water, mud and debris into the Bhote Koshi River system.The disaster caused extensive damage to houses, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure. Several areas were cut off after roads were damaged, while communication networks were also disrupted, making it difficult for people to contact their families.Rescue and relief operations have been underway, with the Nepal Army, police and other agencies engaged in searching for missing people and assisting those affected.According to reports, as of August 31, the death toll from the flash floods in Nepal had risen to 903, while 4,247 people were still reported missing.
Nepal Flash Floods: Baripada Woman Reaches Home Safely, Family Relieved
