TIRUCHY: Twenty people from Tiruchy and their bus crew, who had a miraculous escape from the catastrophic flash flood, reached Kathmandu on Thursday after being airlifted from Armed Police Outpost in Timure along Nepal-Tibet border in two military helicopters. A 11-member group was accommodated at Trishuli Military Training Camp and the others were accommodated in another location, the travel agency sources said.
“All 20 of us had a miraculous escape from death. We have been saved by God’s grace,” M Sivaranjani from Woraiyur told TNIE over phone while travelling from the military camp to Kathmandu. She was one of the three from Tiruchy including S Vallinayaki (63), of Thillai Nagar and R Karpagam (62) of KK Nagar who were among the 57 taken on the tour by the Kumbakonam-based Super Yathra Agency.
Elaborating, Sivaranjani said the floods struck when their driver stopped the vehicle due to a traffic snarl on the stretch. “A total of 21, including the crew, were travelling between the two buses when the deluge struck. Due to traffic, our driver stopped the vehicle for some time, while the bus in front of us moved ahead and the other one was far behind us.
Our bus was caught in the deluge at a curve, where there was some distance between the river and the road. Sensing the danger, we alighted from the bus and reached a military camp by climbing the mountain with great difficulty. Many in our group were senior citizens.”
They spent the night at the camp and on Thursday, they walked a long distance to reach a helipad. From there, they were airlifted by a military helicopter. “We lost everything including passports. Indian embassy officials are making efforts to send us home after completing the formalities,” she added.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, A Manoharan, an advocate who is a relative of Vallinayaki, said she contacted him through a video call on Thursday morning and said she was clueless about the whereabouts of the other two buses. As per their itinerary, on Wednesday (August 26), they were to reach the China border, located 17 km from Syabrubesi, complete passport verification and then proceed to Kairong, which is 26 km away, for an overnight stay.
5 from Chennai reported safe
Sathiya Jayaraman (58), a government school teacher who lives alone in Kundrathur after her husband died of Covid-19, was among those rescued. Her son-in-law Srinath told TNIE, “Around afternoon we received a call from her on WhatsApp confirming that she was safe.”
At Velachery, Abani sent her parents Navu Kabirdoss (55) and Vijayabhuvaneshwari (55), for the trip. The couple’s neighbour Malini said, “I have known the family for more than 24 years. When I heard the news, my family was in shock. We were relieved only after their daughter informed us that they are safe.” At Besant Nagar, G Maran (55) and his wife (47) confirmed to their family that they were safe on Wednesday evening.
14 from Cuddalore safe
Fourteen from Chidambaram and Bhuvanagiri who were part of the 57-member trip, were also confirmed to be safe. Relatives have urged the state and centre to take immediate steps to bring those stranded in Nepal home safely.
Ramesh Krishnan of Chidambaram said four of his relatives, including his cousin Thiyagarajan Rathinam (50), were safe. “With the help of officials there, they are trying to obtain duplicate documents, including passports, to return home. They are in shock and have not been able to contact us frequently,” he said.
The 57 people on the trip through the Kumbakonam agency were split into groups and were travelling in three buses in Nepal. Apart from this, a group of around 150 people—including 148 from Tamil Nadu and two foreign nationals—led by spiritual speaker Desamangayakarsi released a video saying they were in Nepal two days before the flash floods but were now safe in Tibet.
(With inputs from Gautham Selvarajan @ Chennai and Bagalavan Perierb @ Cuddalore)
WhatsApp group created to update kin
Thanjavur: Even as efforts to establish contact with missing pilgrims who went to Nepal through a travel agency in Kumbakonam are continuing, the district administration has created a WhatsApp group with the relatives of missing persons to update them about the search & rescue operations.
A release from Collector R Revathi stated that 16 pilgrims from Thanjavur are missing and their families were being informed about the efforts taken. R Murali, the son of Elavarasi (60) who is missing, said,
”My mother is a pious person, and we are confident that all will be well.” Raja, son of Chithra, said she sent him a photo on Wednesday morning around 6 am, and spoke over the phone. Mohammed Hussain, the travel agency owner’s son left for Kathmandu on Thursday to arrange the return of the 21 people.
Whereabouts of 3 from Theni unknown
Theni: A family from Kodangipatti village has sought the district administration’s help to trace three members who went to Nepal . N Selvam (48) travelled to Nepal with his wife Chitradevi (40) and mother Saraswathi (67).
His elder brother Sathyanathan told reporters at the collectorate that the family last spoke to them on Monday. “Selvam told us they were travelling from Shigatse in China to Kathmandu.
After that, we have not been able to contact them. We have been calling their mobile numbers ever since learning about the flash floods, but the calls do not go through.” Selvam and Chitradevi have two sons.