21 Tamil Nadu pilgrims return to Chennai after surviving Nepal flash flood
The pilgrims were travelling in a convoy during their pilgrimage when the flash flood struck
Twenty-one pilgrims from India's Tamil Nadu state returned to Chennai on Friday after surviving an avalanche-triggered flash flood in Nepal that swept away two buses in their three-bus convoy.
The pilgrims were travelling in a convoy during their pilgrimage when the flash flood struck. The bus carrying the 21 survivors became trapped between the other two vehicles, forcing them to climb onto its roof and then scale a nearby hill to reach an Armed Reserve Police camp, where they were given shelter, says NDTV.
Survivor Vijayabhuvaneshwari said the flash flood hit with a loud noise like a "bomb blast". She said she believed there was a 90% chance she would not make it home.
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Another survivor, Vallinayaki, recalled the disaster as "a volcanic eruption of concrete, devouring us".
Kirubathiri described surviving the disaster as a "new birth" and said, "the poor always pay a heavy price for the climate wrongs of others".
Rescue efforts continue
Around 400 people from Tamil Nadu are estimated to have travelled to Nepal during the period. About 140 pilgrims from the state have been rescued and are safe, while at least 80 remain missing, according to the information provided.
A team of four Tamil Nadu ministers has been deployed to New Delhi to coordinate repatriation efforts from Kathmandu.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also been filed in the Madras High Court seeking clarity and state action regarding the pilgrims affected by the disaster.
Families await information
The return of the 21 pilgrims brought relief to their families, but relatives of those still unaccounted for continue to wait for news.
Families have expressed frustration over the absence of a government-verified list of rescued and missing pilgrims from the central and Tamil Nadu governments, contributing to confusion over the status of those who travelled to Nepal.
As rescue and repatriation efforts continue, families remain anxious for confirmed information about their relatives.
