NEW DELHI: A brief tea break and a warning from locals helped a group of Andhra Pradesh pilgrims narrowly escape the devastating flash floods in Nepal, with the bus driver reversing to safety just minutes before the floodwaters swept through the route ahead.The group of 26 pilgrims from Tirupati had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and was on its way from Kathmandu towards the China border when the near-disaster unfolded on August 25.The pilgrims had spent the previous two days at a hotel in Kathmandu due to a delay in visa clearances.They left the Nepalese capital at around 6am on August 25 and stopped along the route for a tea break.According to a pilgrim who later returned to Delhi, that brief halt proved crucial.“In the last two days, we had to stay in a hotel in Kathmandu because we were late. On the morning of the 25th, we left Kathmandu for the China border at 6 AM. On the way, we stopped for a tea break.”The pilgrim said another bus that had left with them was caught in the disaster and hit a bridge.“Because of that stop, the bus that left with us hit a bridge. If we had stopped for a tea break, we would have also hit the bridge. We are 100 metres ahead of the floods.”The danger became clearer when the driver of a bus travelling ahead alerted their driver about the approaching floodwaters and told him to move the vehicle immediately.“The bus driver in front of us and some locals alerted the driver that the floods were coming and asked him to immediately move the bus. The bus driver immediately took us to a place where we were safe.”The group then moved to safer ground and escaped the flash flood that devastated parts of the Nepal-China border region.The pilgrim expressed gratitude to those who helped them and to the governments that coordinated assistance during the crisis.“We thank God and all of you. And also, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chandra Babu and Mr. Nara Lokesh Babu, who always stood by us. We also thank the Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Government of India. By the grace of God, all of you and our families are reaching home safely. Thank you.”The incident came as the Nepal flash flood death toll rose to 547 on Friday, with 977 people still missing, including foreign tourists and security personnel.Around 1,545 people have been rescued, while search operations continued across the affected districts.Authorities also warned of fresh flooding in the Bhotekoshi River area after a barrier lake formed near the Nepal-China border, with China issuing a Level-IV alert.
