No news of Subrata Ranjan Nath yet

Gangtok: September 30

It’s been an endless wait for the family of Subrata Ranjan Nath. Nath, a senior official with a hydro power company in north Sikkim, has been missing since a devastating earthquake rattled the state nearly a week ago. He was last seen travelling in a Mahindra Bolero on the Mangan-Safu road, when the quake struck. The area, incidentally, is very close to the epicenter of the quake.

Officials from his company – Teesta Urja Limited – told his family about reports of Nath’s car being hit by a boulder during the earthquake. Since then, the company along with the Army has been trying to trace him but in vain.

“We are getting lots of conflicting reports and so there is lot of confusion. What we are looking for is concrete information”, Paromita, Nath’s younger daughter said.

For the Army, it is an uphill task as rescue efforts in the area have been severely hampered by incessant rain and landslides that have blocked the roads. Alongwith Nath, 40 others were also missing and 12 were reported dead after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck on Sunday evening. The Army says it is trying its best to locate the missing, including Mr Nath. All areas have been surveyed by air and rescue teams have even tried to reach the affected villages on foot despite the roads being blocked. “We will provide all help in locating the missing. Many vehicles were hit by boulders and have not been traced”, Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia, GOC, 33 Corps said.

But Paromita wants the government to do more to find her father. “We would like to request the Government of India to send in more resources and help to the extent they can.” As days pass by, the Naths are getting more anxious but they still haven’t lost hope.

 

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