Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Tea Break Saves 52 Mansarovar Pilgrims From Nepal Floods
A group of 52 people was traveling to Mansarovar through Nepal.
Seventeen of them were from Bengal.
Some travelers wanted tea, so their bus stopped at a tea stall in Bidur.
This made the bus about 15 to 20 minutes late.
That delay meant they were not at the border when a huge flash flood arrived.
Police told them to turn around and go to higher ground.
The travelers saw water and rocks destroy cars, shops and homes.
They said the tea stop and the helpful driver saved their lives.
A roadside tea stop in Bidur delayed 52 Mansarovar pilgrims by about 15–20 minutes on August 26.
The delay kept their bus from reaching the Gyirong immigration centre before a flash flood struck.
Police warned the group to turn around and move uphill beside the Bhote Koshi river.
The pilgrims watched muddy water and stones sweep away cars, shops and homes.
The group included 17 pilgrims from Bengal, including Kalyan Kumar Tah and Anjana Sanyal.
- Who
- Fifty-two Mansarovar pilgrims, including 17 from Bengal, were traveling with a tourism agency from Calcutta.
- What
- An impromptu tea break delayed the group’s bus and helped it avoid the worst of a flash flood.
- When
- The tea break and flash flood occurred on the morning of August 26.
- Where
- The incident happened near Bidur, Nepal, beside the Bhote Koshi river and on the route to the Gyirong immigration centre.
- Why
- The delay caused by the tea stop meant the bus was caught in a vehicle queue rather than reaching the flood-hit area on time.
- Pilgrims involved
- 52
- Pilgrims from Bengal
- 17
- Tea-break location
- Bidur, Nepal
- Delay caused
- Approximately 15–20 minutes
- Flood date
- August 26
- Nearby border destination
- Gyirong immigration centre
- Reported flood toll
- More than 900, with scores still missing