- Pankaj Barman survived four days stranded on a mountain after Nepal flash floods
- He fled a power station with colleagues as floodwaters swept through the area
- Nearly 100 people were stranded on a hilltop before being rescued by Nepali teams
Pankaj Barman from Nalbari in Assam is back with his family after a harrowing week in Nepal where he survived four days stranded on a mountain after the devastating flash flood of August 26.
Barman worked at a power station which was hit by gushing floodwater. He recalled the terrifying moment in an interview with NDTV after returning home to Nalbari.
Barman said he and his colleagues were forced to flee the power station as floodwater and mud swept through the area.
"Bhaago Pankaj, bhaago (Run Pankaj, Run)," Barman recalled a colleague shouting as water came gushing down, bringing slush and boulders with it.
Barman said he ran out of the facility and headed towards higher ground along with several others. With roads and nearby areas inundated, the group climbed up the mountain to escape the rising water.
He said nearly a hundred people remained stranded in the area and spent four days on a hilltop waiting to be rescued.
"We heard a loud noise. Everyone was shouting 'bhaago, bhaago'. I came out. A friend cried, 'bhago Pankaj, bhago'. Water gushed in, there was mud all around," Barman recalled.
Pankaj Barman with his family in Nalbari, Assam
"Everyone was running scared, vehicles and structures were going down."
At that moment, Pankaj Barman and others decided that the only way to save themselves from the water's fury was to run upwards.
"We decided to go up the mountain to save ourselves. We were stuck on the mountain for four days surviving only on water and biscuits."
When the water receded, Pankaj Barman and others were evacuated by Nepali rescuers and brought to Kathmandu. The rescued group, including Barman, were kept in a hotel by their company and were eventually brought back to Assam with the help of the state government.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also spoke to Barman while he was at the Kathmandu hotel. "The Chief Minister spoke to me and helped us return. I am deeply thankful to him," Barman told NDTV.
While Barman eventually returned to his family in Nalbari, one of his colleagues and friend, Arun Mahanta, remains missing after the disaster.
Mahanta returned from his night duty at around 5 am on the morning of August 26, Barman recounted. "He called his family and told them that he will call them again after catching some sleep. We had breakfast together and I left for work. He has been missing since then. I kept calling his phone, but couldn't connect."
"Eight of us came back, but five are still missing. I keep thinking about my friend," an emotional Barman said.
(With Inputs from Jyotishman Sarma)
