Chennai residents recount harrowing experience after being stranded in Sri Lanka

On November 25, D. Chidambaranathan, a resident of Chennai, left to Sri Lanka with his wife and daughter, looking forward to a pleasant trip. However, nature had other plans. After Cyclone Ditwah swept through the island nation and became one of the worst disasters to strike it, they endured what they described as one of the most harrowing experiences of their lives.

“Everything seemed fine when we landed. Though there was some rain, we had a smooth visit to Trincomalee. After that, the trouble started when we headed to Nuwara Eliya. It turned out to be a very distressing trip. It feels surreal that we have all managed to return safely,” he recounted.

Mr. Chidambaranathan and his family were among the 24 people who were stranded in Sri Lanka and returned to Chennai on Tuesday morning by a Sri Lankan Airlines flight.

Shanmughasundaram, another returnee, said they had all planned a six-day trip to visit various places including Kandy, Trincomalee, and Kathirkamam. “But we ended up witnessing floods and landslides,” he said.

Passengers said that after visiting Trincomalee and Kandy, they were heading to Nuwara Eliya where they got stuck amid floods and landslides. They managed to find one room accommodation in a guest house, where the women and children stayed, while the men had to sleep within the bus itself. “We watched a landslide up close and were terrified. I shudder to think what could have happened if we had gotten caught,” Mr. Shanmughasundaram said.

Rajarathnam, another tourist who returned on Tuesday, said they spent close to 50 hours travelling in the bus before boarding the flight from Colombo to Chennai. They reached out to the Tamil Nadu government through their relatives and acquaintances, and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin spoke to Senthil Thondaman, president of the Ceylon Workers Congress and former Governor of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province.

“That was when help started pouring in. Thankfully, the Chief Minister [Mr. Stalin] intervened. Without his help and that of Mr. Thondaman, we would not have managed to return safely. The assistance they rendered was phenomenal,” recalls Mr. Shanmughasundaram.

Mr. Chidambaranathan said with no power or network during the cyclone, they were unable to reach anyone and felt helpless. “We are very grateful to the Tamil Nadu government and Mr. Thondaman. I felt very relieved and emotional the minute the flight landed in Chennai,” he added.