The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Minutes before Himachal tragedy, teen was chatting with friend. Then, calls went silent
PRITIKA, 16, a Class 12 student at Government School Samej, was chatting on Whatsapp with her classmate Dikshika Thakur about an exam at around 10.45 pm on Wednesday. The chat lasted for more than half an hour.
About an hour later, Dikshika started making frantic calls to Pritika. All of Dikshika’s calls went unanswered, and later her phone got switched off.
Eight people were killed and nearly 45 are still missing in Himachal after several buildings, bridges and roads were washed away in flash floods and landslides triggered by a series of five cloudburst incidents, including three in Kullu, and one each in Shimla, and Mandi.
“The supplementary test in Economics was scheduled for today ( August 2). Pritika was one of my close friends. She relied on me for all her study- related doubts. I was never aware that I would be the last person to communicate with her. Even their parents ( Pritika and her younger sister Ridhika, who is also missing) were unaware of the tragedy as they were at their other house, located on a height above our village, Samej. I called them and was the first to inform them of the tragedy,” Dikshika, 16, standing outside her damaged school, where half of the building was washed away in the cloudburst, told The Indian Express.
“We are all praying for the safe rescue of our friends. Pritika and Ridhika are among eight students from our school, missing since Wednesday night.” Dikshika was among over a dozen students, anxiously overseeing the rescue operation, which has been carried out for the last two days, but has yet to yield any results.
Even Aditi Sadina, 13, a Class 10 student, is concerned about three of her classmates who are missing. “They are Anjali, Arun, and Jiya. Initially, there was confusion over who was missing and who was not. This morning, one of our class teachers told us that Anjali, Arun, and Jiya are also missing. Arun is missing along with his entire family, including his parents and younger sister Arushi, who is a Class 9 student,” Aditi said.
A teacher at the School Samej, requesting anonymity, said among the eight missing students, three are from Class 12, four from Class 10, and one Class 6.
According to authorities, eight students are among 33 missing people from Samej on Wednesday night.
However, Kulvindera Chauhan, another Class 12 student, believes there is no issue if the missing students are found after days of searching, as long as they are found safely. “Sabhi safe milne chahiye bhale der se milein ( Everyone should be found safely, even if there is a delay in finding them).