Hazaribagh (Jharkhand): A 32-year-old youth, who was believed to have been swept away by floods in Jharkhand 17 years ago, has been reunited with his family, his family claimed.
"We found Himanshu alias Rohit working in a hotel in Mumbai after 17 years," his uncle Suraj Sinha, a resident of Daroo block in Hazaribagh, told newsmen here today.
Himanshu was travelling to Pathraul in neighbouring Giridih district by a bus in July/August, 1995 when the vehicle carrying him along with over 50 passengers was swept away by a swollen river Ushri.
Narrating his experience, Himanshu who alongwith his family members were present before the media, said due to the floods, a large number of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the bridge, but the driver of his bus, which he had boarded at Daroo in July-August 1995, risked crossing it and the bus got swept away by the strong currents.
On getting information about the mishap then, the police engaged divers to locate the missing passengers.
When Himanshu could not be located, his family returned home believing he must have died and performed his last rites, his uncle said.
Himanshu, who was then a 15-year-old boy, said that he could not recollect where he was found and by whom.
Himanshu, the son of late Hari Sinha, said due to severe impact of the flood in river Ushri he lost his memory and could not inform his rescuers about his name and exact address and was taken to Kolkata.
In Kolkata he worked in a hotel, where he met one Bhaiya Nish and went with him to Dadar in Mumbai and was employed in a hotel as cook, Himansu said.
It was from this place he came to Choudhuribandh in Giridih recently to participate in the marriage of his friend’s sister and the people there recognised him and informed his family.
They immediately obtained his employer`s address and went to Dadar and brought him to Hazaribagh yesterday, Sinha said.
PTI
