"Never imagined it would happen to us": Vizag pilgrims recounts Nepal flash floods horror

Recounting the ordeal following the rescue operation, one of the pilgrims from Visakhapatnam recalled travelling three hours from Kathmandu when they stopped for tea, only to learn that two buses that had departed half an hour ahead of them were washed away. Emphasising the shock of the incident, she added that she never imagined she would personally be affected by such a calamity.

"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 kilometers. When we stopped to drink tea, the two buses that had left half an hour ahead of us, got washed away/missing. We were traveling in three buses, and all of us are safe," Gada Elaveni told ANI.

Another pilgrim, DLDA Chairman Gadu Venkatappa, also recalled his close call with the flash flood disaster. He noted that a delay in flight schedules inadvertently kept them out of the direct path of the floods near the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, ultimately saving them from tragedy.

"On the 21st night, we departed from here. From there, we went to Delhi and then reached Kathmandu. According to the original plan, we were supposed to embark on our Manasarovar Yatra from Kathmandu the very next day. However, due to a delay in obtaining our visas from the China government, we had to stay in Kathmandu for three days. Three representatives stayed behind in Delhi to collect the visas while the rest of us were 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 told ANI.

Expressing similar sentiments, Garudappa Naidu, brother of DLDA Chairman Gadu Venkatappa, mentioned that on their way to Kailash Mansarovar, another brief delay prevented a major accident. He shared that their vehicle was between 50 and 100 meters away from the China border bridge when suddenly, a landslide came rushing down with immense force. Seeing this, a tempo driver coming from the opposite direction shouted out a warning. Alerted by the shouts, their bus driver skillfully manoeuvred the vehicle to higher ground, steering all their passengers into 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 people from our family, departed from Bhagalpur Airport. They reached Kathmandu, but due to a delay in obtaining their visas, they had to stay there for 3 days. Once the visas were granted, they set out on the Mansarovar Yatra. On the way, they stopped to use the restroom and drink tea, which delayed them by a little while. While their vehicle was between 50 and 100 meters 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 skillfully manoeuvred the vehicle to higher ground, steering all our people into a safe zone. Immediately after the incident occurred, 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 told ANI.

Meanwhile, as joint rescue and relief operations intensify following devastating 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 successfully rescued from the affected areas.

According to MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the rescued individuals include 21 citizens from Tamil Nadu who returned to India on Friday, alongside 63 workers deployed at the Trishuli-I hydropower project.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 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"

Additionally, 149 Indian nationals crossed over safely into Nepal from China, while approximately 400 remain safe on the Chinese side as embassy officials coordinate their evacuation. Around 320 Indian nationals remain uncontactable due to widespread telecommunication outages.

The flash floods in the Bhotekoshi River area of Rasuwa have left widespread destruction, with hundreds of people dead or missing and key roads and communication links disrupted.

As Nepal's rescue and relief operations continue, India's latest assistance combines emergency supplies with specialised medical and rescue capabilities aimed at supporting Kathmandu's response to the disaster. (ANI)