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Tsunami survivors recall horror

By Our Correspondent

CHAMARAJANAGAR, JAN. 8. Every survivor of the tsunami tragedy has a heart-rending tale and recalls the horrors to narrate the killer wave.

A forest corporation employee at Hut Bay colony in Little Andaman island B.V. Mohan Menon (43), his wife, Nirmala (42) and daughters Shalini and Shamini have come to the house of Mohan's brother at Gundlupet in the district on Friday. The family members shared their tsunami experience with presspersons here.

According to Mr. Mohan, he was residing at the Hut Bay colony for the last 22 years. He said that the people anticipated danger following the barking of dogs in high pitch.

"On tsunami Sunday, when we saw huge tidal waves about the strike the Hut Bay colony. Somebody screamed that the sea was coming. Without a second thought, all the 21 families in the colony ran towards the jungles atop a hillock and escaped the killer tsunami tidal waves," he said.

The Hut Bay colony was completely destroyed by the killer waves and the families lost everything they had in their houses. "The ocean with which we lived for so many years has taken away everything from us except our lives," he said.

Though there was water all around the hillock, there was not a drop to drink. He said the colony people were forced to be take shelter at hillock for about three days surrounded by water.

Ms. Nirmala said: "We started collecting biscuit packets, packed water bottles and other eatables to fill our hungry stomachs."

After three days, the water level receded. The men went to seashore and sent a message to INS Rajput. They were rescued by small life saving boats of the Navy, which brought them to Port Blair. Later, they were shifted to Chennai by flight. The authorities in Chennai helped them to reach Mysore by train.

"We heaved a sigh of relief when we reached the house at Gundlupet," Ms. Nirmala said.

The tsunami survivors have appealed to the district administration to provide them jobs. The district administration has assured Mr. Menon of providing education facilities to his two daughters, who are studying in 10th and 7th standard. The Menon family says that it does not want to remember the horrors of tsunami.

The district administration has assured the victims of taking steps to provide relief measures to begin a new life here.

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