The Sharma-Jain family at Paschim Vihar here is yet to come to grips with the tragedy in which six of their 10 family members, who went on a holiday to Kerala, lost their lives when their boat capsized in the Mullaperiyar reservoir.
The victims are Sandhya Jain, her mother Vimla, her husband Pradeep Jain and daughter Shruti. Sandhya’s sister Sangeeta Sharma and her son Partha also lost their lives.
“The family left on a holiday a day before Dusshera,” recalled Barkha Goel, a neighbour of the Jain family.
Remembering his 20-year-old nephew, Rahul Sharma said: “Partha was a second year student of Delhi College of Engineering and wanted to go on a holiday before he started his preparations for the CAT examination. He was planning to go abroad for further studies after graduation. He was a good sportsman and had won many laurels for his college.”
Partha’s mother Sangeeta was a manager with the State Bank of India.
“The travel agent informed us at 6-30 p.m. that there had been an accident. I spoke to my cousin Vineet around 10 p.m. I am worried how Vineet, who is a heart patient, would cope with the loss,” added Rahul Sharma. “The boat which was designed to seat 40 people was carrying 80 instead. Nobody had a life-jacket at the time of the mishap. Had they been wearing life-jackets they might have been saved,” he said.
Besides Vineet, other members of the family who survived include Sandhya’s daughter Neeti, her sons-in-law Baladutt Mangesh and Yash.
The Kaura family consisting of Arun, his wife Renu and daughters Anika and Shruti, also residents of Paschim Vihar, lost their lives.
At the Kauras’ residence, friends and relatives of the deceased decided not to break the tragic news to Arun Kaura’s aged parents for the time being.
Some members of the Kaura family left for Kochi to identify the bodies and bring them here.
Janakpuri-based Harendra Singh and Ms. Salika Gogoi from Gurgaon were among those who lost their lives.
