But the belief of Prakash Mohan Bhattarai, 41, and his spouse and two sons that everything was still alright with the ill-fated luxury cruise proved wrong shortly after the ship tilted 20 degree toward their side, making it difficult to walk past the floor. “They had initially announced that things would be under control in about half an hour. But as glasses fell down from table and it was difficult to walk we realized something was wrong,” recalled Bhattarai over telephone from Rome, Italy, Sunday evening.[break]
Bhattarai along with his spouse Rupa Paudel Bhattarai, 40, and two sons -- Prajwal, 12 and Rohan, 10 -- then took no time to join other passenger on board the floor to find rescue boats, leaving all their belongings. “It was a horrible experience. The elevator did not work as there was no electricity. We climbed down hurriedly to catch a motorboat,” he said.
Bhattarai recalled the panicking scene of people shouting with fear and creating a sort of stampede in the staircase to make it to the motorboats that would ferry them to safety. “There was such a panic that we could not even think of anything other than finding a rescue motorboat,” he added.
At least three people have been confirmed dead after the 14-storied cruise ship carrying more than 4,200 people hit a sandbar on Friday evening near the island of Giglio and listed about 20 degrees on Friday night. Six Nepali nationals, including Purnima Shahi and Manjula Rajkarnikar, were also on board the cruise ship. “We could not meet them as they were on the second floor. But now we have met. We are currently safe in Rome,” informed Bhattarai.
Six Nepalis, including Bhattarai, had left for Italy on a 10-day tour package arranged by Zest Holiday Inn, Kathmandu. They were originally scheduled to cruise across Italy, France and Spain.
“As all the Nepalis have left their passports and other belongings in the sinking ship, efforts are underway to provide provisional travel documents through the Nepali mission in Geneva,” said Nepali envoy to Kuwait Madhuban Paudel, who is also the father-in-law of victim Bhattarai. The victims will stay in Rome till a parcel containing provisional travel documents from Geneva reaches them.
Bhattarai, managing Director of Pokhara Macaroni Product Pvt Ltd in Pokhara, said they were first rescued to an Island -- just about 500 meters from the sandbar that caused the accident -- and later taken to mainland before flying them to Rome.
Italian officials have lowered the number of people still unaccounted for to 17 as the rescue efforts are underway. An AP report from the Island of Giglio where the mishap took place stated that there were now six crew members and 11 passengers who haven´t been located from among the 4,200-plus people who were aboard.
The report stated that police divers and rescue crews on Sunday circled around the wreckage of the ship off the coast of the island of Giglio. Crews in dinghies were touching the hull with their hands, near the site of the 160-foot-long gash where water flooded in and caused the ship to fall on its side.
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