A Desperate Escape from the Mountains
On August 26, a powerful flash flood and mudslide struck the Timure area near Nepal's border with Tibet, catching a group of 21 Tamil Nadu pilgrims in the middle of their journey. The pilgrims were part of the Mount Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, traveling from Syabrubesi towards Kerung, when a wall of mud, rocks, and water rushed down the mountainside. Survivors described the event as resembling a 'tsunami falling from the mountains,' according to media reports.
The pilgrims' bus came to a halt at a relatively safer bend, and although the flood swept away vehicles nearby, the group escaped being caught in the torrent by just a few feet, survivors later recounted. With the bus no longer safe, the 21 pilgrims scrambled out, many exiting through the driver's side, and began climbing a steep, muddy embankment. The slippery slope made progress difficult, with several pilgrims, many over 50, repeatedly slipping. What should have been a short ascent turned into a desperate struggle lasting between one and two-and-a-half hours, as reported by News 18.
The Saree That Became a Rope
Among those who reached higher ground were Rathinakumar and his wife Poonguzhali from Mayiladuthurai, according to The Economic Times. When Poonguzhali noticed several women still stranded below, she removed her saree, put on a sweater, and lowered the saree down to those struggling on the slope. In those terrifying moments, the saree became a makeshift rope that the pilgrims could hold onto as they tried to pull themselves out of danger.
A metal cable available at the site was also used. The stranded women held onto the saree and the cable as Rathinakumar, Poonguzhali, and others pulled them upward, helping them reach safety one after another.
The pilgrims remained stranded for almost two days, surviving on limited food supplies and bottled water provided by local residents while staying in touch with authorities. The locals also helped the group maintain contact with officials.
Rescue and Return Home
A coordinated rescue effort involving the Indian Embassy, the Nepal Army, and Tamil Nadu government officials was carried out to evacuate the pilgrims. The survivors were airlifted and brought back to India. According to reports, the pilgrims were taken to Kathmandu and later flown to Chennai on an Air India flight. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met the rescued pilgrims, and Tamil Nadu ministers received them at Chennai airport.
Nepal's Deadliest Flood Disaster
The rescue of the Tamil Nadu pilgrims came amid one of Nepal's deadliest recent flood disasters. The death toll from the floods climbed to 903, with 4,247 people missing, authorities said. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 272 bodies had been recovered from Chitwan, 207 from Nawalparasi East, 151 from Nawalparasi West, and 62 from Gorkha. Nuwakot accounted for 95 recovered bodies, followed by Dhading with 55, Tanahu with 37, and Rasuwa with 24. Among those still missing are 99 security personnel and 591 foreign nationals.
The disaster was believed to have been triggered by a collapse or avalanche involving ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border. Floodwaters traveled downstream through the Bhotekoshi River, destroying homes, vehicles, roads, and bridges and causing damage to hydropower infrastructure. The flooding also destroyed the Bhotekoshi Corridor, a key land trade route between Nepal and China, and damaged the Rasuwagadhi border crossing.
The disaster also affected the Chinese side of the border, where 16 people were killed and nearly 550 remained missing in Tibet.