Odisha engineer survives Nepal floods after office call; wife, toddler daughter still missing

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1 (UDN): A routine phone call from his office may have saved the life of an Odisha engineer working at Nepal’s Upper Trishuli hydropower project, but the devastating floods claimed his family’s safety, leaving his wife and two-year-old daughter missing.

Gunnam Jay Krishna (37), a mechanical engineer from Odisha’s Bargarh district, escaped rising floodwaters after being instructed to leave the workshop and inspect a tunnel at the project site shortly before disaster struck.

Last-minute assignment becomes lifesaving

Jay Krishna reported for duty at around 7:30 am on Wednesday and had initially reached the workshop. Soon afterwards, he received instructions to inspect a tunnel, prompting him to move to an elevated section of the project.

From there, he witnessed the flood’s destructive force unfold below. The higher ground is believed to have protected him from the surging waters that engulfed parts of the project area.

Family swept away as floods hit home

While Jay Krishna survived, tragedy struck his home. His wife, Sai Bindu, and their two-year-old daughter were swept away by the floodwaters and remain untraced despite ongoing search efforts.

The uncertainty over their whereabouts continues to weigh heavily on the engineer, who is waiting for updates as rescue teams continue their operations.

Rescue after 36 hours of survival

Jay Krishna and two colleagues spent nearly 36 hours stranded under the open sky as flood-hit conditions made evacuation impossible. Without access to food or drinking water, they remained at the site until a company-arranged helicopter rescued them the following afternoon.

He is currently staying at a hotel in Kathmandu and is awaiting assistance from the Indian Embassy.

Years of work in hydropower

Jay Krishna has been working in Nepal since 2019, after gaining experience on hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir and other locations. He married Sai Bindu, who was also from Bargarh, in 2023.

As Nepal continues to grapple with the aftermath of the floods, the search for his wife and young daughter remains ongoing, with the family holding on to hope for a positive outcome.