Orchha couple stranded in Sri Lanka storm for two days:Husband wife remain trapped in car amid landslides; say every breath felt like the last

Cyclone Ditwah has caused massive destruction in Sri Lanka and heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry. While more than 123 people have died in Sri Lanka, three deaths have been confirmed in Tamil Nadu. Among those affected is Orchha businessman Girish (Greesh) Premnani and his wife, who were trapped for over two days in a landslide-hit area near Kandy. Their return to India is now delayed as flights remain cancelled. Cyclone Ditwah causes havoc Cyclone Ditwah has brought heavy rain to coastal parts of southern India. Three deaths have been confirmed in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, over 123 people have died due to floods and landslides. More than 130 people are missing. Flight cancellations in Chennai have left about 300 Indian passengers stranded at Colombo Airport for three days. Indian businessman stranded in Sri Lanka Among the stranded passengers is Girish (Greesh) Premnani, a businessman from Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. He lives in Jhansi. Some members of his family also run businesses in Sri Lanka. Trip to attend a wedding Girish and his wife, Isha, left Jhansi on 22 November by Shatabdi Express to Delhi. They were travelling to attend a family wedding. On 23 November, they boarded a flight from Delhi to Colombo via Chennai. Their plane landed in Colombo at around 8pm. Heavy rain and traffic jams Girish is currently staying at a hotel in Colombo Kandy. He spoke to Dainik Bhaskar through a video call. He said he felt exhausted after two days of travel. They had to reach Kandy, around 35 km from the airport, for the wedding. It was raining heavily. Trees had fallen in many parts of Colombo, causing long traffic jams. It took nearly two hours just to cover five kilometres. Kandy was receiving extremely heavy rain and floods due to Cyclone Ditwah. Landslide on the mountain road To reach Kandy, the road crosses a mountain stretch. As their car was going downhill, a landslide started. The driver told them to get out of the car. They stood in the rain as mud and rocks fell onto the road. Girish said the scene was terrifying. He had only seen such situations in videos before. About 35–40 other people were also stuck there. Most of them were Sri Lankan locals. “My heart sank” Girish, his wife and the driver were completely drenched. The driver asked them to sit back in the car. He told them he could not say how many days it would take for the road to open. Girish said his heart “began to sink” after hearing this. Every moment felt dangerous. There was no mobile network. They could not inform anyone that they were trapped. The night passed with fear, hunger and no sleep. The driver told them that the river two kilometres below was overflowing. The bridge had around 10 feet of water on it. No one knew when the route would reopen. No food or water for 2 days The next day, the rain became even heavier. They had no food or drinking water. They spent the entire day in the car. Girish drank rainwater by cupping his hands outside the window. They remained stuck like this on 24 and 25 November. After the rain reduced, the river level slowly went down. The driver said the road might open by afternoon. Rescue team arrives On 26 November, a rescue team finally reached the spot. They cleared the mud and debris. Their car was able to move by around 3pm. The journey ahead showed widespread destruction. Houses had collapsed. Trees were uprooted. Thousands of cattle lay dead on the roadside. Floodwater covered large areas. Reached the hotel after two and a half days Girish and his wife finally reached Colombo Kandy on the evening of 26 November. However, the situation in the region is still not normal.It is still raining. He wants to return to India, but flights remain cancelled. No one knows when travel will resume. “This is a second life” Girish said he feels that he and his family have received “a second life”.He believes they survived due to the blessings of their deity, Ramraja Sarkar.