‘Reminded us of tsunami’: 36-member group from Kerala escapes Nepal floods, returns safely

A group of 36 Malayali residents from Kerala narrowly escaped the devastating floods in Nepal and returned safely to Nedumbassery. The journey began when they traveled approximately 100 kilometers from the Nepal border, crossing into Uganda before reaching Gorakhpur Airport in Uttar Pradesh. From there, they made two separate flights home. Among the survivors, five individuals from Kasaragod traveled to Bengaluru before returning by train. The remaining 31 members arrived at Nedumbassery Airport at 2:30 am on Sunday.

Among the survivors, Rajan, a teacher from Cheruvathur, Anil Neelambari, a former SI, Pradeep Kumar, a former KSEB official, Karunakaran, and Rajeevan, from Muzhakkoy, were part of the Kasaragod group. They recounted the horrifying experience, describing the water surge as similar to a tsunami. They initially changed their route to avoid the disaster but were trapped in the forest during darkness when a landslide occurred, leading to their eventual escape.

The group's journey was an adventurous one, with moments of relief such as a stop at a temple, which they attributed to saving their lives during the golden hour. They expressed gratitude to God for their survival. Another resident, Vinaya Kumar, emphasized the unfortunate timing of the disaster during the Onam festival, stating, "We were in the middle of the trip. It was a horrendous experience."

The travel agency played a crucial role in ensuring the group's safe return, helping them find accommodation by 3 am. Pradeep Kumar revealed that the group was initially unaware of the severity of the situation until they saw vehicles stopping and people running towards the curve ahead of them. The water level was extremely high, sweeping away trees and buildings in its path.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) issued a public safety warning following the floods, urging residents and relief teams to exercise extreme caution in the affected areas. The warning affected three major downstream districts, including those near the Nepal-China border. Emergency services and local administration units have been placed on standby in Nuwakot and Dhading.