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‘It was extremely scary, will haunt me forever’, recalls Nepal quake survivor

Professor Asha Bajpai of Tata Institute of Social Sciences recalls the horrors of April 25 earthquake in Nepal

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Little did professor Asha Bajpai, 60, of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) expect that her official trip to Nepal would turn into a horrific nightmare of sorts. Lucky to survive the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that ripped through Nepal, killing more than 2,500 people, Bajpai flew back to Mumbai on Sunday night. She had reached Kathmandu on Friday evening to attend a conference organised by New York-based Centre for Reproductive Rights at Hyatt Regency in Boudha Road.

Recounting the horror to dna, Bajpai said, “It was 11:40 am on Saturday. Twenty of us were in the conference room on the ground floor and I was done with my presentation. Suddenly, the whole hotel started shaking. Terrified, we rushed out. People from higher floors could be seen scrambling for safety. Outside, things were falling and flying; there were glass pieces everywhere. Stones were felling near us; many among us suffered injuries, though I proved to be lucky. It was extremely scary... will haunt my memories forever.”

According to Bajpai the aftershocks were even worse. “There were at least 26 aftershocks. I have never before felt earth trembling under my feet, that too for hours together. At the swimming pool, the water was gushing out.”

Almost 300 people including staff and guests stayed put at the tennis court, away from the building. “There was no power, no mobile network... People were frantically trying to get in touch with their kin.” She said they managed to send emails when the network was made available for a small duration in the night. Repeated calls to embassy to inquire about flights next day however went unanswered. Nobody from the Indian embassy had visited the hotel till she left. In the night, they slept in the lobby of the hotel.

“The conference had were delegates from America and Africa, and seven from India. We were together throughout.”

Bajpai’s flight was at 10 am on Sunday. “Four of us managed to hire a cab. On the way to airport, I could see a city completely devastated with collapsed buildings and mounds of rubble. People were running helter-skelter,” she said.

At the airport, the situation was chaotic. “People were flocking there to flee the scare. Emotions were flying high.” There were long delays. My flight to Delhi reached late and I missed my connection flight to Mumbai. I boarded a flight later and managed to reach Mumbai on Sunday night. People back home were anxious. I feel relieved, but my heart goes out to thousands who are still stuck there,” said Bajpai.

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