Survivors of Nepal flash flood land in Chennai, recount harrowing escape

A group of twenty-one Tamil Nadu tourists who survived a devastating flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwagadhi area reached Chennai on Friday via an Air India flight from Delhi. Upon arrival, they were greeted by ministers N Anand and D Sarathkumar, who coordinated their onward travel to various districts, with eleven returning to Cuddalore. The survivors recounted how the sudden surge of muddy water and debris, initially thought to be a dust storm, turned into a torrent that forced them to abandon a bus and scramble for higher ground, using a cable and a sari to climb a steep mound.

After reaching an Army camp that provided shelter, they trekked nearly two hours through thorny vegetation to a helipad. One survivor, Sathya, said she contacted her sister in one outlet religious and charitable endowments department for help, while another, Sivaranjani, blamed the tour operator’s driver for fleeing without warning the passengers. The group also highlighted the lack of mobile connectivity, which hampered communication with families and delayed rescue efforts for missing companions.