COIMBATORE: Emotional scenes unfolded at the Coimbatore airport as about 28 devotees from Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and surrounding areas, who went on the Kailash Yatra via Nepal, returned safely on Tuesday. Family members welcomed them with flower garlands and tearful embraces at the Coimbatore International Airport.
The group of pilgrims had departed on August 18 for the spiritual journey and sightseeing. They stayed near the Trishuli River area, close to the China border, until about a day before devastating floods and landslides struck parts of Nepal.
"At the time of the disaster, the group was already about 700 km away. One Nepali guide travelling with them lost a sibling in the floods but continued to assist the group. Chinese authorities and the army helped evacuate them safely across the border,” said R Saroja Radhi of Sathyamangalam in Erode district.
The group reached Delhi and flew to Coimbatore with support from the centre and Tamil Nadu government. "By God's grace we escaped. We were in the affected region just a day earlier. The governments helped us a lot, but the loss of so many lives is heartbreaking," several pilgrims said.
C Ajay from Tiruppur, who received his parents Mohana (47) and Chandrakumar (57), said continuous WhatsApp messages and video calls kept the families informed. "Seeing them land brought us immense relief. Chinese forces helped them cross the border when roads were damaged," he added.
