Tamil Nadu: 28 pilgrims return safely from Kailash Yatra after Nepal flood, receive emotional welcome at Coimbatore Airport
Coimbatore, September 1
Twenty-eight pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Yatra returned safely to Coimbatore Airport on Tuesday, escaping the floods that led to 939 deaths in Nepal.
The pilgrims who had travelled from various parts of Tamil Nadu were undertaking their pilgrimage through Nepal when several areas were hit by severe flooding.
The pilgrims said they had been in the flood-affected region until a day before the floods occurred. They subsequently left the area to continue their Kailash Yatra and, in the process, escaped the danger.
The pilgrims said the Chinese government took necessary steps to facilitate their safe evacuation, enabling them to leave the affected areas safely. They also thanked the Central and Tamil Nadu governments for their support and for coordinating efforts to ensure their safe return.
Poongodi, a pilgrim from Tirupur, told ANI, "We crossed the border on August 21. At the time, we did not know about the scale of the flood. We later received calls from family members and saw the videos on the phone. We were 800 kilometres away but were still scared. We had crossed the Trishuli River by boat. The Central government for the past few days has helped us."
Another pilgrim, M Deepalakshmi, said, "We were 13 people travelling to Kailash. Our tour guide helped us. Our team members are psychologically affected, but they (tour guides) helped us out of the panic."
A pilgrim expressed gratitude towards the people of Nepal and rescue teams for supporting the tourists despite being affected by the loss of life and property.
Muralidharan said, "We were having the darshan and did not know about it. But the roads, immigration office, and Friendship Bridge have been completely washed away. We were forced to take another route, but we reached Coimbatore as per the schedule. The Central and State governments were in touch with our group head. Despite losing their relatives, people of Nepal supported us with the best hospitality."
Earlier, Vallinayagi from Thillai Nagar in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, who had travelled to Kailash Yatra, was rescued from Nepal following the flood and recounted the horrors of the disaster as she returned home safely amid sustained efforts by the Central and State governments.
Vallinayagi's family members received her with emotional embraces and tears, performing an aarti to welcome her home. After reaching home, Vallinayagi offered prayers at the family shrine before spending time with her family.
Recalling the incident, Vallinayagi told ANI that she had travelled from Chennai on August 23 for the Kailash Yatra. While travelling by vehicle from a place called Jiawusi in Nepal towards the Chinese Embassy, they encountered heavy traffic. She said they were surrounded by darkness and initially could not understand what was happening, only later realizing that they had been caught in a massive flood.
She said they broke the window of the bus and escaped.
The devastating flood that struck Rasuwa in Nepal last week has left 939 people dead, while search operations continue for those still missing. A total of 3,925 people are missing, as per the NDRRMA, which includes 592 foreign nationals.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) 158 Indian citizens had been evacuated safely from Nepal as of Monday.
— ANI
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