Neha Divekar and her son Om were expected to be back to Mumbai from their trip to Jammu and Kashmir yesterday, but are now stranded in the flood-hit state
What was meant to be a memorable trip to Srinagar, has turned into a nightmare, not only for the people stranded in the flood, but also for their loved ones back home.
ADVERTISEMENT
Thousands of people are still believed to be stranded in the flooded areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Pic/PTI
A group of two families, Neha Divekar, her son Om, with Mihir and Shweta Apte and their son Ishant, had left for a trip to Jammu and Kashmir on August 31, but are now trapped in the flood-hit area of Srinagar. The calamity has killed over 150 people.
Neha Divekar and her son Om had left for a trip to Jammu and Kashmir on August 31 with another family of three
Neha’s husband Gaurish, who had decided to stay back in Mumbai, has been trying desperately to get in touch with his family; however, there has been no information about them yet.
“I now regret staying back, and, right now, I can’t do anything except worry about my family and friends. I last spoke to my wife on Sunday, when she told me that there is no electricity and her mobile phone’s battery may die any minute, and there was no other means of communication because of the flood.”
The group of five was staying in Srinagar hotel, ‘Welcome’, close to Dal Lake. “She just told me that they have been asked to shift from the hotel. I have had no news from them since then,” he added. The group was to return to Mumbai on Tuesday by Indigo flight 6E 448 that was expected to reach at 4.55 pm. However, despite a one-hour delay in take off, Indigo confirmed that none of the five people had boarded the plane.
“This means they were not able to reach the airport. I’ve heard that all access roads to the airport are in a terrible state, which could be the reason why they couldn’t make it. Without any contact, it is hard to know anything else,” said Gaurish. Many private and state-run choppers are also working towards rescuing people in the state.
Airlines extend helping hand
Private airlines like Jet Airways and Indigo are trying to help as many passengers as possible to leave the flooded city. In its statement, Jet Airways announced that it has extended the waiver for refund/reissue penalties on all confirmed tickets issued for travelling to or from Srinagar till September 14.
An Indigo spokesperson, said, “We are making sure that no flight is cancelled. We are also delaying some of our flights from Srinagar to make sure we can rescue as many passengers as possible. The cancellation and re-booking charges of passengers trying to leave the city have also been waived.”
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
