Gyan Singh Thakur, a resident of Maloh village in the Sundernagar area of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, has safely returned home after surviving the recent disaster in Nepal. The catastrophic natural calamity that struck Nepal on 26 August has claimed the lives of over 1100 people, while nearly 5000 individuals have been rescued. Among those who managed to cheat death and return safely to their families is Gyan Singh, whose harrowing ordeal has finally come to a joyous end.
Fifty-year-old Gyan Singh has been working in power projects for nearly 30 years. For the past 8 months, he was stationed at a power project in Nepal working in the capacity of a foreman. On the fateful day when the disaster struck, he was diligently performing his duties inside the project's power house. Without any prior warning, a massive deluge of water gushed in, forcing everyone present to run towards the nearby hills in order to save their lives.
Recalling the terrifying experience, Gyan Singh stated that the situation deteriorated so rapidly that apart from the Nepalese air force, there seemed to be no other hope of survival. He faced death head-on for one full night and two continuous days. There came a point when it felt as though every possible escape route had vanished, yet he maintained his resolve and kept his courage alive. Eventually, the Nepalese army conducted a rescue operation using a helicopter, which finally enabled him to escape and save his life.
Gyan Singh shared that at the spot where he was trapped, there was a group of 100 people. Fortunately, barring one individual, everyone else has been safely evacuated, while one young man remains trapped inside. He further revealed that 98 people from his entire project are still missing. Four other people from Himachal Pradesh were also working with him on this project; three of them have returned safely, while a young man named Sukhvinder Singh from Una district is still reported missing. Among the other two survivors from Himachal, one belongs to Talyahar in Mandi district but lives in Delhi, while the other hails from Rampur in Shimla district.
The safe return of Gyan Singh brought an enormous sigh of relief to his wife Kalavati and the rest of the family. Kalavati shared that following the disaster, all communication with her husband was abruptly cut off, which filled her mind with all sorts of alarming thoughts and fears. However, when her husband called the very next day, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. According to Kalavati, it is solely due to the blessings of the local deities that her husband has returned home safe and sound.
Recalling the initial panic, Kalavati mentioned that they were so shaken by the sudden turn of events that they could not even inform the administration or the government about the incident. Notably, a video featuring Gyan Singh and his wife Kalavati has also surfaced, showing her presenting flowers to her husband upon his return and the two embracing each other outside a shop. During this deeply moving moment, both of them were visibly overwhelmed with emotion.
