4 days ago
Tamil Nadu Pilgrims Escape Nepal Floods Using Saree Rope
Twenty-one pilgrims from Tamil Nadu were visiting Nepal on their way to Mount Kailash.
Heavy rain caused floods and mudslides in the mountains.
Their vehicle almost got swept away, but it escaped through a small gap.
Several women could not climb up the muddy slope.
Ratnakumar used his wife Poonguzhali’s saree as a rope to pull them to safety.
The group then waited for two days with only small amounts of food and water.
Indian officials and rescue teams kept in contact and arranged their evacuation.
The pilgrims returned safely to India, although some of their original documents were lost.
Twenty-one Tamil Nadu pilgrims were trapped by floods and mudslides in Timure, Nepal, during a Mount Kailash pilgrimage.
Their vehicle narrowly avoided being swept away near an Indian Embassy checkpoint as floodwater surrounded the area.
Ratnakumar and Poonguzhali used a saree as a makeshift rope to help several women climb to safety.
The group survived for two days on snacks and bottled water supplied by local residents.
Indian Embassy officials, Tamil Nadu ministers and rescue agencies coordinated their evacuation to India within 48 hours.
- Who
- Twenty-one pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, including Sivaranjani, were rescued after becoming trapped in Nepal.
- What
- The pilgrims escaped floods and mudslides, helped stranded women with a saree rope, and were evacuated to India.
- Where
- The incident occurred near Timure, Nepal, along the mountain route between Syabru base and Kerung, near an Indian Embassy checkpoint.
- When
- The group endured two days in the mountains and reached India within 48 hours of the rescue operation; they arrived late on Friday night.
- Why
- Severe rain caused flash floods and mudslides that trapped the pilgrims and threatened to sweep away their vehicle.
Key facts
- Pilgrims affected
- 21 Tamil Nadu pilgrims
- Location
- Timure, Nepal
- Pilgrimage
- Mount Kailash yatra
- Main hazards
- Floods, mudslides and harsh mountain conditions
- Improvised rescue
- A saree was used as a makeshift rope
- Food supplies
- Snacks and bottled water provided by locals
- Evacuation
- The group was taken to Kathmandu and then onward to India within 48 hours
- Lost items
- Some original documents were lost; replacement passports were promised for delivery to the pilgrims’ homes
Quotes
Sivaranjani
Tamil Nadu pilgrim who survived the Nepal floods and recounted the group's ordeal
“Using a saree tied securely as a makeshift rope, Ratnakumar lifted and pulled the stranded women up the slippery embankment one by one, with Poonguzhali assisting from above.”
rediff.com
“If our vehicle had gone five feet this way or five feet that way, we would definitely have been swept away. I have to say that God saved us by five feet.”
rediff.com
Sources
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