Four days have passed since the disaster struck the hills. Though efforts to restore normalcy are underway. Searches continue across rivers and hilly terrains for the missing individuals, yet there is still no trace of Himadri Purkait, a resident of South Kamarpol in Diamond Harbour.
Workers from the ruling party, under the guidance of Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, are assisting in the search. Meanwhile, Himadri’s parents, Prashanta and Shukla spending sleepless nights with worry. Taking matters into his own hands, Himadri’s elder brother, Priyabrata, along with five neighbours, has left for the hills to locate him.
Family sources revealed that their first stop will be the Sukhiapokhri police station, followed by a visit to the home stay cottage in Sonada village, where Himadri had been staying. They also plan to explore areas in Darjeeling and adjacent regions where Himadri often guided tourists, coordinating with local authorities for assistance.
Prashanta Purkait shared, “Himadri loves the hills and often visits them. When back home, he spent his days with music and friends, participating in a music group in Diamond Harbour.” His mother is devastated as there has been no sign of Himadri since the disaster.
With support from the South 24 Parganas district administration, Priyabrata and his companions have reached Darjeeling, where accommodation has been arranged for them. MP Abhishek Banerjee’s observer, Shamim Ahmed, has been in touch with the Darjeeling district magistrate, sub-divisional officer, and BDO, who confirmed that search operations are ongoing.
Before the disaster on Saturday night, Himadri, a sociology student at Jadavpur University, was staying in a tent at Bagar Farm Stay in Sonada village, Sukhiapokhri area. Around 10 PM, he informed his mother about the worsening weather. Later, he called the home stay owner, saying he couldn’t return and requested that the information be relayed to his family. After that, all communication was lost.
Part of Sonada village, including the homestay, was swept away by floodwaters. Shamim Ahmed stated, “MP Abhishek Bandhyopadhyay is doing everything possible to find Himadri. We are standing by his family, and party workers are tirelessly assisting the police administration in the rescue efforts.”
