As many as 105 migrant workers, who had been stranded in earthquake-ravaged Nepal, returned to their villages in Kendrapada district on Saturday. With this, the number of total returnees of the district rose to 154 and 222 are still to come, according of official sources. Those who returned on Saturday include 55 persons of Penthapala village, 27 of Taradipala village, eight of Damodarpatana village, six of Deuli village, two of Krushnadaspur village and seven of Alapua village.
While recounting their horrific ordeals, most of the returnees said they would not go to Nepal in recent future. “Several bodies are yet to be recovered from debris. Rotting bodies now raise fear of epidemic outbreak. We should not go there now,” said Sudam Dhal of Alapua village, a returnee. When contacted, district Collector Debaraj Senapati said steps are on to bring back the remaining migrant workers from Nepal.