Kolkata: A week after flash floods devastated parts of Nepal, families in Bengal whose relatives remain missing are caught between fading hope and the need for answers, while survivors who have returned to Kolkata are recounting how last-minute decisions saved their lives.On Tuesday, eight relatives from four families travelled from Kolkata to Kathmandu and are now staying near the Nepal-Tibet immigration centre. They hope to accompany rescue teams as close as possible to the affected area and search for 32 tourists from Bengal who went missing last Wednesday while travelling with Chalo Jaai Travel Club.Those who have gone to Nepal include Sneha Banerjee, daughter of missing Durgapur tourist Debashis Banerjee, and her husband; relatives of Nikhil Ranjan Biswas and Shikha Naskar Biswas of Baruipur; son of Debabrata and Lekha Roy Chowdhury of New Town; and Ushnish, son of Rajorshi Roy Chowdhury, along with relatives of Swapan and Mou Mondal of Basirhat.Two representatives of Chalo Jaai Travel Club are accompanying the families. Dibyojyoti Basu, proprietor of the travel agency, said the relatives would try to reach points nearest to the disaster zone and visit hospitals and other possible locations where the missing tourists may have been taken. He added that if DNA profiling becomes necessary, the presence of immediate family members would help. The state govt has also created a WhatsApp group comprising relatives of the missing tourists and senior officials after a video conference with chief minister Suvendu Adhikari last week. However, family members said the tone of discussions in the group has changed. What began as an exchange of rescue updates has increasingly turned into conversations about DNA testing and what happens if the missing are never found.“I don’t think there is hope of finding anyone alive now. We want to know what happens if they are not found. We are also discussing DNA samples. Where and when can we submit them?” said Sunanda Howladar, daughter of missing tourist Ranajit Howladar of Behala Parnasree.Those who returned to Kolkata over the weekend described narrow escapes from the floods. Among them was Anjana Sanyal (69), a retired schoolteacher from Uttarpara, who was part of a 17-member group travelling to Kailash Mansarovar. The group had left Kathmandu by bus on Aug 26 and was headed towards the Chinese immigration office when their driver received information about a flash flood in the Bhotekoshi river and turned back immediately.“We had started in clear weather. Suddenly, we saw what looked like smoke in the distance, followed by a huge surge of water. The driver immediately turned the bus around,” Sanyal said. She believes a brief halt before the incident saved them. “Had we travelled a little further, we could have been trapped in traffic with no way to turn back,” she said. Tapan Biswas of Rajarhat also survived after his group stopped for a break. “Within minutes, we heard screams. Children were running towards us and climbing the hills for safety. We were saved, but so many are dead or still missing,” he said.
