Kolkata: For retired schoolteachers Anukul Poddar and wife Reba Ray Poddar, the ordeal is finally nearing an end. After narrowly escaping the devastating disaster in Nepal, the Basirhat couple boarded a train for home from Raxaul on Saturday morning, still shaken by what they had witnessed and heard.The Poddars are among the first tourists from Bengal to head back from the disaster-hit Himalayan nation. They were part of a group of 98 Indian tourists, including 39 from Bengal, earlier reported missing. News of their safe return has brought a measure of hope to families still waiting for information about their loved ones.Residents of Payel More near Bhatri Sangha Club in Ward 7 of Basirhat Municipality, the couple had travelled to Nepal for a Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage. They escaped the disaster by a couple of hours.Speaking from the train, Poddar recalled the terrifying moments when their journey was abruptly halted. “It was around 10.25 am on Aug 26. We had started from Kathmandu early in the morning and were headed towards Rasuwagadhi on the Nepal-China border. We were about two hours from the border when local police stopped our vehicle. The cops told us to turn back immediately, saying there was a flash flood and a major natural disaster ahead. At that point, we had no idea how serious the situation was,” Poddar said. But the sight of local residents and schoolchildren hurrying along the road to safer areas indicated the gravity of the situation.“When we were asked to turn back, we were very disappointed that we could not continue to Mansarovar, but we were also deeply frightened. By the time we reached our hotel in Kathmandu, it was almost evening. When we watched the frightening visuals and realised the scale of the disaster, we were numb with shock,” he said.Another Basirhat couple, retired schoolteachers Swapan Mondal and wife Mou Mondal of Khan Bahadur Road in Ward 10 of Basirhat Municipality, are still missing. They had travelled to Nepal with Kolkata-based tour operator Chalo Jaai along with 30 others.Poddar grew emotional while speaking about the Mondals, who are from the same area and were his former colleagues. “Swapan and I taught at the same school, Basirhat Town School. We were part of separate groups but travelled to Nepal on the same train. We are returning home with very heavy hearts because they have not been traced. I sincerely pray that they return safely and in good health,” he said.The Poddars had left for Nepal on Aug 21 by Mithila Express with another group as part of a tour organised by the Kolkata-based agency Kundu Tirtha Bhraman. They reached Kathmandu on Aug 22 and after local sightseeing and a visit to Pashupatinath temple, they set out for Kailash-Mansarovar on the morning of Aug 26.The state administration had arranged to fly the Poddars back on chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s instructions, but the couple chose to return by train for convenience. “All necessary arrangements have been made by the administration to bring the couple back safely. They have already left by train for home. The administration is in regular contact with the couple and their family,” said Alaknanda Bhowal, SP, Basirhat.
