Bhubaneswar: Ever since news flashed on TV screens about the flash flood in Nepal, family members of Kulsum Nigar and Deepika Ekka were on the edge. Unable to contact the two friends, who had gone to Nepal on a trek, they resorted to praying and hoping for a miracle.On Thursday evening, when the phone rang and the family heard Kulsum’s voice at the other end, they broke down. In between sobs and a sense of relief, they learnt that the two were safe and currently with their team members at Dhorpatan, a remote high-altitude valley in western Nepal, some 400 km away from the flood-affected area.Kulsum (20) of Baripada and Deepika (32) from Bhubaneswar had travelled to Nepal along with three other girls from different states. The group reached Nepal on Aug 22.“I’m relieved to inform that she is safe and is currently with her team members at Dhorpatan. She was out of the network area. She called us from her team leader’s number,” Kulsum’s sister Tarannum said.The family had been anxiously trying to establish contact with Kulsum and Deepika after their phones became unreachable. The two had last spoken to their families around 11 am on Tuesday, when Kulsum informed them that she was heading out on a trekking trip from Pokhara and that her phone might remain out of reach.Kulsum, a professional mehendi artist, was on her first trekking trip. Before setting out, she had sent photographs of the Gandaki river and other locations around Pokhara to her family.According to Tarannum, Kulsum and Deepika left Odisha on Aug 21 and met the others after reaching Bihar. The group then travelled by cab from Raxaul to Nepal, reaching the neighbouring country around 10 am on Aug 22, where they exchanged currency.Tarannum said she had spoken to Deepika before the girls began their journey to Nepal. As they remained unreachable, their families had approached the Indian Embassy in Nepal and the tourist police in Pokhara for assistance. Their details were also shared with the directorate of Odisha Parivar to help trace them.
