Tea Break Saves Five Indian Tourists from Nepal Flash Flood Disaster

Five Chhattisgarh residents—Narayan Sen, Dinesh Ojha, Prem Singh Jagat, Yatendra Prakash and Dinesh Singh Thakur—were on a sightseeing tour of Nepal when flash floods devastated the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river valleys on Wednesday. Their decision to pause for tea at a hotel in Malekhu on August 26 alerted them to a washed-away bridge and the rising waters, leading them to shelter on higher ground and stay in their vehicle for two nights.

Local residents, police officers and the Indian government’s emergency helpline helped them stay safe and keep contact with families. They witnessed cars and debris being carried away by the swollen Trishuli and heard reports of villages and infrastructure destroyed. After the flood subsided, the group departed Nepal on August 28 and returned to Raipur on Saturday.