4 days ago
Stranded Maharashtra Tourists Return Home Through Multiple Routes
Floods near the Nepal-Tibet border stranded many tourists from Maharashtra.
Roads, bridges and rivers became dangerous or unusable.
Some tourists travelled by plane, bus and train to get home.
Others used longer routes through Lumbini and Ayodhya.
A Raigad group travelled through mountain routes toward Kathmandu Airport.
Four people from one Nagpur group reached Nagpur by flying to Delhi and then taking a train.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke with stranded tourists by video call.
State officials worked with Indian and Nepalese authorities to help people return.
Reports gave different totals for one Nagpur-linked group, including 106 and 118 people.
At least 106 Maharashtra tourists crossed into India safely, while another 84 were expected to return on Saturday.
Four Nagpur tourists flew from Kathmandu to New Delhi and travelled onward to Nagpur by train; 102 others went by bus to Patna before taking a train.
A 45-member group from Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Pune and Mumbai travelled through Chitwan and Lumbini toward India via Ayodhya.
A 37-member Raigad pilgrimage group in Saga, China, used mountain routes toward Kathmandu Airport, accompanied by two doctors.
Maharashtra established a 24X7 war room, toll-free helpline and digital tracking system to coordinate the evacuation.
- Who
- Tourists from Nagpur, Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Pune, Mumbai and Raigad, assisted by Maharashtra authorities and Indian and Nepalese officials.
- What
- Stranded Maharashtra tourists were returning from flood-affected Nepal through several land, air and rail routes.
- Where
- The tourists were in Nepal and China, travelling through Kathmandu, Chitwan, Lumbini, Ayodhya, Patna, New Delhi and Nagpur.
- When
- The returns were reported on Saturday; one group had travelled to Nepal on August 19 and had been scheduled to return on August 28.
- Why
- Flash floods, rising rivers, collapsed bridges and blocked roads disrupted normal travel after glacier and ice-rock collapses along the Nepal-Tibet border.
Key facts
- Tourists across the border
- 106 people had crossed into India, according to the Maharashtra government’s account.
- Additional returns
- Another 84 tourists were expected to return on Saturday.
- Nagpur travel arrangements
- Four tourists flew to New Delhi; 102 travelled by bus to Patna and were scheduled to take a train to Nagpur.
- Sangamner group
- The 45-member group included 27 people from Ahilyanagar, 12 from Nashik, five from Pune and one from Mumbai.
- Raigad pilgrimage group
- The 37-member group reached Saga in China and was reported to be in good health; two doctors accompanied it.
- Tourist account
- A separate report described a 118-person Shiv Puran recitation group, with four members returning to Nagpur on Saturday.
- Emergency assistance
- Maharashtra activated a 24X7 war room in Mumbai, and families could call toll-free number 1070.
Quotes
Varsha Upadhyay
A 58-year-old member of the Maharashtra tourist group stranded in Nepal
“Then, we received a call from the chief minister himself, and he resolved the entire situation for us. His call reassured us, and things worked out for the best. He did a great job.”
indianexpress.com
“When the chief minister spoke to us over a video call and said, ‘Tension sodun dya’ (don’t worry), we felt relieved.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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