With roads blocked and a landslide trapping them in a dark forest, the group watched floodwater surge like a tsunami. A 36-member group of Malayali tourists went to Nepal for an Onam trip but found themselves fighting to survive when deadly flash floods suddenly swept through the area.
In a twist of fate, a stop at a temple just minutes before the disaster gave them the precious time they needed to escape.
“It was an adventurous trip and we were lucky. We were moving to Galtimunj for our next visit when suddenly the roads were closed. The disaster was a horrifying sight. We stopped for a temple visit before moving to the next destination. This stop saved our lives. That was the golden hour. “At first, we did not realise what was happening. The vehicles were stopped and local residents started to run towards the curve ahead of us. Later, we went to look at the scene and the disaster reminded me of a tsunami. The water level was so high and it swept away trees and buildings. We stayed on the bus for hours and later at night we started to walk through the woods. By midnight, we got food and accommodation. “The disaster happened during the Onam days. We were in the middle of the trip. It was a horrendous experience. We were lucky to escape this disaster. The travel agency got us back to India safely. We faced some difficulties finding food at first, but the agency people helped us move to a safe place later that day. “Nobody expected such a disaster in the middle of a festive season like Onam. I can still picture the scene of the disaster. God saved us all from this. For the tourists, the trip ended with relief rather than celebration. A routine temple visit, a blocked road and a decision to change their route became crucial moments in their escape. What they saw and experienced in Nepal has left them with a memory of how quickly a holiday can turn into a fight for survival.
Later, we realised that the disaster had happened about 500 metres away from us. By 3 am in the morning, we had safe accommodation,” he said. For the 36 Malayali tourists, the journey that began as an Onam trip ended with a narrow escape.
We thank God for our lives,” Rajini said. Anyway, we thank God for our lives,” he said. I thank God for my life,” Renjitha said.
They eventually reached Gorakhpur Airport in Uttar Pradesh and took two separate flights back home. Five members from Kasaragod travelled through Bengaluru before continuing their journey home by train. The group included Rajan, a teacher at Periya Polytechnic and a native of Cheruvathur, teacher Anil Neelambari, former SI Pradeep Kumar, former KSEB official Karunakaran and Rajeevan, a native of Muzhakkoy.
After escaping the danger zone, the group had to travel around 100 kilometres from the Nepal border before crossing into India.
