Memories of scaling the Everest Base camp faded as a group of trekkers were stranded in Nepal following the earthquake. On Monday, four members of the team returned to Bengaluru after spending nearly two days without food, water, toilet or shelter.
They were part of a 17-member team – led by Smitha Srinivasan – that had trekked to the Everest Base camp and returned to Kathmandu on April 24, the eve of the earthquake. “I was talking to my daughter on the phone when I heard a noise. For nearly 20 minutes, she could not be reached,” said Vasumathi S., who was to take part in the trek but cut short the trip to bring back an ailing fellow traveller.
When Smitha rushed out of her hotel room, she saw neighbouring buildings had collapsed. For 10 minutes, the group of nine – as others had left the trek midway – stood on tenterhooks as Kathmandu shook. A member of the team, Vivek from Coimbatore, had left the swaying Dharahara tower – which collapsed killing 180 people – minutes before the earthquake, said Ms. Vasumathi.
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With the fear of tremors looming large, they took turns to go into the hotel to retrieve their belongings. They went to the airport, where they spent the next two days. Queues for water and flights stretched more than 1.5 km.