3 days ago
Maharashtra Kailash Pilgrims Return After Nepal Floods And Landslides
Many people from Maharashtra went to Kailash Mansarovar and became stranded while returning home.
Heavy floods and landslides damaged roads and bridges in Nepal and Tibet.
Phone and internet connections stopped working in some places, making families very worried.
Some older pilgrims became sick and needed medical help.
One pilgrim said a hotel where the group had eaten breakfast was swept away soon afterward.
Rescue teams helped groups travel through difficult routes to Kathmandu, Bihar and India.
Dozens of pilgrims reached Mumbai, although reports gave different numbers of arrivals.
More tourists reached Nagpur and entered India through other routes.
Officials continued trying to contact people who were still missing or unreachable.
Maharashtra pilgrims returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra were stranded in Tibet and Nepal after flash floods, landslides and communication failures.
One group of 41 pilgrims reached Mumbai on Saturday, while another report said 43 pilgrims arrived on Sunday, indicating differing counts or separate groups.
Pilgrims described landslides, changing transport, illness among senior citizens and a hotel near the Timure border being swept away shortly after breakfast.
Authorities helped rescue 37 Maharashtra pilgrims toward Kathmandu, while another 106 tourists reached Nagpur through Bihar and 45 entered India from Nepal’s Chitwan.
Officials said more than 404 Maharashtra residents in Nepal were safe, but eight tourists and a separate group of 60 remained unreachable or untraceable.
- Who
- Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims and tourists from Maharashtra and neighbouring states, assisted by Maharashtra authorities and the Ministry of External Affairs.
- What
- Stranded travellers were rescued and returned to India after floods, landslides, road damage and communication breakdowns disrupted their journeys.
- Where
- The disruptions occurred in Tibet and Nepal, including Saga, Kerung or Gyirong, Nyalam and Timure; return routes passed through Kathmandu, Bihar, Patna, Nagpur and Mumbai.
- When
- The pilgrims began travelling in mid-August; floods struck Nepal on August 26, and returnees reached Mumbai on Saturday and Sunday, with 106 tourists reaching Nagpur on August 30.
- Why
- Flash floods and landslides damaged roads and bridges, while communication outages and movement restrictions left travellers stranded.
Key facts
- Mumbai arrivals
- One report said 41 pilgrims from Maharashtra and neighbouring states reached Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Saturday; another reported 43 pilgrims arriving on Sunday.
- Rescued group
- Thirty-seven Maharashtra pilgrims stranded in the affected region were brought to safety and moved toward Kathmandu.
- Nagpur arrivals
- Another 106 Maharashtra-based tourists reached Nagpur from Bihar on August 30 after travelling safely to Patna.
- Residents reported safe
- The Maharashtra Disaster Management Authority said more than 404 Maharashtra residents stranded in Nepal were safe, including 338 who had been contacted.
- Other returnees
- Forty-five tourists from Maharashtra entered Indian territory after being stranded in Nepal’s Chitwan.
- Unreachable travellers
- Eight tourists from Borivali and Andheri remained stranded and unreachable, while a group of 60 linked to Richa Tours and Travels remained untraceable.
- Flood impact
- Flash floods on August 26 damaged roads and bridges, disrupted communications and stranded tourists and pilgrims in several areas.
Quotes
Prakash Shantaram Mane
Kalyan resident and member of the Maharashtra pilgrimage group
“We are working on preparing a missing persons list and ensuring that proper identification and other details are available for each person. We should create a standard template and make it compulsory for everyone undertaking such journeys to provide these details.”
freepressjournal.in
“We had started from Mumbai on August 16 for the Mansarovar pilgrimage. On the way back, we got to know about the situation. Saga was quite different the day earlier. We had no access to the internet, so we and our family members were all scared.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
Nepal floods | ‘Saved by God’: 41 pilgrims return to Mumbai after days of uncertainty
After Days Of Landslides And Communication Breakdowns, Maharashtra Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrims Return Home Safely From Nepal
Hotel where we ate breakfast swept away moments later, pilgrim recalls Nepal floods horror
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