‘God snatched away my only son’: Father emotional after son’s death in Wayanad landslides

A pall of gloom descended on Housing Board Colony in Choudwar after it was confirmed that the body of Dr Bishnu Prasad Chinara, who went missing after the Wayanad landslide in Kerala, was recovered on Wednesday.

A resident of the colony, 34-year-old Bishnu and his wife Priyadarshini Paul were vacationing in Wayanad when the tragedy struck on Monday night. They were accompanied by Bishnu’s friend Dr Swadheen Panda, also from Choudwar, and his wife Dr Sweekruti Mahapatra. While Priyadarshini and Sweekruti were injured in the landslide, Bishnu and Swadheen had gone missing.

Shocked family members said the four of them had left for Bengaluru for a vacation on July 26. After celebrating Bishnu’s birthday at Bengaluru on July 27, they went to Kerala and stayed in Wayanad’s Linora Villa at Chooralmala. On the fateful day, the two couples were asleep in the villa when a devastating landslide swept them away at around 2 am.

“Priyadarshini contacted me at 6 am on Tuesday and informed that she and Sweekruti sustained injuries in the incident and were admitted to the hospital. But Bishnu and Swadhin were missing,” said an inconsolable Pramod Chinara, Bishnu’s father.

The news of his son’s tragic death had visibly shaken 65-year-old Pramod, a retired officer of ARC, Charbatia. “God has played a cruel game with me. He snatched away my only son from me. How will I live now?” said Pramod with tears rolling down his eyes.

Bishnu’s friend Prasanna Sahu said he had spoken to the doctor over phone at around 10 pm on Monday. “He told me about the flood-like situation near the villa where they were staying due to heavy rains. “We had lit diyas in front of our village deity praying for his safety. However, he left us mourning and heart-broken,” Sahu added.

After completing his MBBS, Bishnu served as a government doctor in Tangi community health centre. He was pursuing his post-graduation in Medicine at Hi-Tech Hospital and Medical College in Bhubaneswar. Bishnu had married Priyadarshini, a lecturer in DRIEMS University at Tangi, a year back.