Bhubaneswar, Sept 1: A holiday trip to Nepal turned into a terrifying ordeal for a 51-member group from Odisha and Kerala after devastating flash floods left them stranded, with Bhadrak resident Ramesh Das returning home on Tuesday and recalling moments when he feared he might never see his family again.

Das, a resident of Nalagunda village under Chandbali block, had travelled to Nepal on August 21. However, the trip took a dangerous turn on August 26 when flash floods swept through several areas, causing widespread destruction and leaving the group stranded.

Recalling the harrowing experience after reaching Bhadrak, Das said the group witnessed floodwaters rushing dangerously close to vehicles while they struggled to reach safer locations.

The group was travelling by bus towards Kathmandu when Nepal Army personnel stopped them amid the worsening situation. During their return journey, they witnessed scenes of devastation, including dead bodies, damaged houses and vehicles swept away by raging floodwaters.

“I can never forget what I saw in Nepal in my lifetime,” Das said.

The ordeal became even more distressing due to poor network connectivity, preventing Das from contacting his family. “For a moment, I feared that I would never see my family again. I could not even contact them because there was no network,” he said.

Das said the suddenness and scale of the floods left the entire group deeply shaken as they struggled to find safe shelter amid the disaster.

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