CHENNAI: A group of 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, who narrowly cheated death during catastrophic flash floods in Nepal’s mountainous Rasuwa district, safely returned home to Chennai, bringing back harrowing accounts of survival and tragic destruction.
The pilgrims, part of a larger contingent undertaking the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, were caught in a violent wave of mud, boulders, and water triggered by sudden flash floods near the Nepal-China border. Travelling in a three-bus convoy, the survivors watched in horror as vehicles directly in front of and behind them were swept away by torrential slush.
Recounting the terrifying ordeal at the Chennai airport, survivors described a chaotic scene that unfolded in seconds. “We initially thought it was a dust storm, but within seconds, it looked like a tsunami coming down the mountains,” recalled Sathya, a government school headmistress from Kundrathur. “Murky water came gushing down with massive rocks, dragging lorries and buses. It sounded like a bomb blast.”
With their bus trapped in rising mud, the 21 passengers scrambled out through the driver’s side and made a desperate attempt to reach higher ground. As they struggled up a steep, muddy embankment, quick thinking saved lives: women tied saris together, tossing them down so others could use them as improvised ropes to haul themselves up to safety.
After a grueling two-hour trek through rugged, pathless terrain covered in thorny bushes, the group managed to reach an outpost of the Nepal Armed Police Force in Timure, where they were given shelter and basic provisions. They were later airlifted by the Nepal Army to Kathmandu.
Upon their transit to New Delhi, the survivors were met by Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. State ministers deputed to Delhi oversaw their smooth repatriation back to Tamil Nadu, where they were received at Chennai airport by state ministers N. Anand and D. Sarathkumar.
Tearful embraces and emotional reunions marked the airport arrival hall as families welcomed the survivors home. While relieved to be safe, the survivors emphasized that their joy remains heavy with worry. Scores of pilgrims from the region, including members of their own original touring party, remain uncontactable. Central and state disaster authorities are continuing coordinated search and rescue efforts along the affected border belt to locate the missing travelers.
