KOCHI: A group of 14 tourists from Kochi, caught in the flooding and landslides that hit Manali on Sunday, had moved to a safe area in Mandi and will return home on Wednesday.“The whole time we stayed in the hotel in Manali, we were very anxious,” said Suneer, a member of the group, over phone from Mandi. “The dam was opened on Sunday night and even as we travelled to safety, we saw destruction on our way. The situation in Manali is very bad; we got out taking huge risk.”
The group from Kochi arrived in Delhi on Friday and went on to Manali on Sunday, when the weather turned bad and the dam was opened at night leading to heavy floods and landslides. They had walked 5 km and taken a taxi to safety.
Anxious moments followed for the families in Kochi as there was no news on the whereabouts of the group for hours. On Monday evening, news that they were safe in Mandi, which is about 120 km south of Manali, reached Kochi.
Suneer said many trees had been uprooted and roads were washed away. “We somehow got across all that and reached safety. There were huge landslides in which buildings collapsed. Now we will be returning to Delhi on Tuesday by bus to catch the flight back home. It was a harrowing experience,” he said.
Suneer said the group was taken for a ride by an agent who promised the situation is safe in Manali, where the weather is frequently volatile.The members of the team include Mansoor from Nedumbassery, Shajahan from Muvattupuzha, Siraj from Nettoor, Aneesh from Kochi, Rafeek, Ashkar Ali, Shafeek from Paravur, Bilal, Mueiz from Kochi, Sajid, Basith, Asif and Abdul Hayy.