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Facing life, with an irreparable loss

BERHAMPUR: A fortnight after the gruesome accident at Vishnuprayag in Uttarakhand, Sasmita Satpathy, the sole survivor of the bus accident was informed of her irreparable losses under strict medical supervision at the MKCG Medical College Hospital.

She had lost her parents, sister and brother in that accident on Oct 11, which claimed 45 lives of pilgrims. Although she had little physical injuries she was admitted to the ICU of the MKCG medical college last week after her return. Before that she had been treated at the AIIMS, New Delhi.

During her stay in the ICU the doctors were preparing her physically and mentally to face the great shock of losing her whole family in the accident.

According to sources, she was hinted at the mishap about two days ago by her maternal aunt.

On Friday her best friend, Swarnalata Das, the principal of her college and the headmaster of the high school where she had studied reached her to reveal the stark realities. Sasmita is a +2 student of Birjagannathpur College of Ganjam district. Swarnalata revealed the truth to her, while her teachers and relatives were around. Her cardiac and neural reactions were being monitored in the ICU to avoid any lethal shock. Although in her teens Sasmita proved to be strong enough to face this ghastly news.

Sasmita said she would pursue her studies and become a career woman to fulfil the dreams of her parents, who are no more.

She has decided to continue her studies at the same college, staying at Mardakote. Her maternal uncle, Narayan Pani said all her relatives would groom her life and career so that she never felt like an orphan.

Her father Simanchal Satpathy, a sanskrit teacher of Mardaraj high school at Beguniapada had preferred to take his whole family of five members on a pilgrimage of Uttarakhand. Simanchal, his wife Pramila Satpathy, daughter Rasmita Satpathy and son, Gopalkrushna Satpathy died in the accident leaving Sasmita to face the world all alone.

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Facing life, with an irreparable loss

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