As Nepal contends with devastating flash floods, 28 pilgrims from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, have been safely rescued from the affected areas.
One pilgrim, Gada Elaveni, recounted their ordeal after being rescued. She said they had travelled about 80 kilometres from Kathmandu for three hours when they stopped for tea and learned that two buses which had departed half an hour earlier had been washed away. “We never imagined it would happen to us… Well, we didn’t get the darshan, but God brought us home safely. We travelled for three hours from Kathmandu–it was about 80 kilometres. When we stopped to drink tea, the two buses that had left half an hour ahead of us, got washed away/missing. We were travelling in three buses, and all of us are safe,” she said.
DLDA Chairman Gadu Venkatappa, another pilgrim, recalled how a delay in flight schedules inadvertently kept the group out of the direct path of the floods near the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, ultimately saving them from harm. He explained that a delay in obtaining visas from the China government forced them to stay in Kathmandu for three days. Their original plan was to start the Manasarovar Yatra immediately after arrival in Kathmandu, but due to visa delays, three representatives remained in Delhi to collect the visas while the others stayed in Kathmandu. “Though they received the visas the previous day, they missed the 4.30 AM flight due to ticket unavailability and had to take the 8.00 AM flight instead. Had they arrived earlier, we would have started our journey at 3.00 AM instead of 6.00 AM. If we had left at 3.00 AM, we would have been right near the Chinese Embassy at the exact time the flash floods hit–the very location where Sadhguru’s followers and others were staying in serial order right next to our designated rooms. We truly believe missing that early start saved us from disaster,” Venkatappa said.
His brother, Garudappa Naidu, shared another close call during the journey to Kailash Mansarovar. As their vehicle approached the China border bridge, a landslide rushed down unexpectedly. A tempo driver coming from the opposite direction shouted a warning, allowing their bus driver to manoeuvre to higher ground and move all passengers to a safe zone. “My brother and our family members left on August 24 through a private travel operator to go on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. In total, 28 members, including 8 from our family, departed from Bhagalpur Airport. They reached Kathmandu but had to stay there for three days due to visa delays. Once the visas were granted, they set out on the Manasarovar Yatra. On the way, they stopped to use the restroom and drink tea, which delayed them slightly. While their vehicle was between 50 and 100 metres away from the China border bridge, a landslide suddenly came rushing down with immense force. Seeing this, a tempo driver coming from the opposite direction shouted out a warning. Alerted by the shouts, our bus driver skilfully manoeuvred the vehicle to higher ground, steering all our people into a safe zone. Immediately after the incident, they were out of reach. After recovering from the shock a short while later, my brother called us himself. He informed us that they were in a safe zone and doing fine,” Venkatappa said.
Meanwhile, joint rescue and relief operations are intensifying following flash floods along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors in Nepal. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that 84 Indian nationals have been rescued from the affected areas. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on X, “84 rescued (21 from Tamil Nadu who returned to India today; 63 working at Trishuli-I project); 149 who have crossed over safely into Nepal from China today; Around 400 who are safe in China. Our Embassy has been in touch with them and working on their evacuation; 320 missing or not contactable.”
In addition, 149 Indian nationals have crossed safely into Nepal from China, while about 400 remain safe on the Chinese side, with embassy officials coordinating their evacuation. Approximately 320 Indian nationals remain uncontactable due to widespread telecommunications outages.
The flash floods in the Bhotekoshi River area of Rasuwa have caused widespread destruction, resulting in hundreds of deaths or missing persons and disrupting key roads and communication links. India’s ongoing assistance combines emergency supplies with specialised medical and rescue capabilities to support Kathmandu’s disaster response efforts.
