Chinese Visa Rejection Saves West Bengal Woman From Nepal Flood-Hit Kailash Mansarovar Pilgrimage, Her Group Of 32 Still Missing

Tapati Singha, a 61-year-old woman from West Bengal, faced disappointment when her Chinese visa was denied for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage through Nepal. However, the visa rejection turned out to be a fortunate turn of events. Instead of joining the 32-member pilgrimage group, Tapati chose to travel to Ladakh, where she is currently residing.

The initial visa rejection has now saved her life, as she was not among the 32 West Bengal pilgrims who were swept away by devastating flash floods in Nepal near the Nepal-Tibet border. Tapati, who had been preparing for the pilgrimage since May, is now returning to Kolkata from Ladakh. The group of 32, consisting of 30 pilgrims and two tour managers, left Kolkata on August 21 and reached Nepal the next day.

They were preparing to cross into Tibet for the pilgrimage when the flash flood struck the Rasuwagadhi area, close to the border. Communication with all 32 members was lost following the disaster, and families in West Bengal are anxiously awaiting updates on their relatives' safety. The Indian government, along with Nepalese authorities, is coordinating efforts to trace the missing individuals.

Rescue and search operations are ongoing in the flood-affected regions of Nepal, with hundreds of tourists and pilgrims reported missing, including those traveling towards Kailash Mansarovar and other Himalayan destinations.