‘Two buses ahead were swept away’: Karnataka man recounts lucky escape in Nepal floods

Nepal Flash Flood Live Updates: | India sends more relief material as death toll crosses 350

Narrow escape

Recalling the horror, Mallinath said the flood struck around 9.30 am while they were on their way.

“Our vehicle was barely 200 metres from the flood zone. Seeing the wall of water, our bus driver immediately executed a sharp turn and rushed to higher ground, which saved our lives,” Mallinath told The Indian Express.

“There was nothing anyone could do. It was pure chance. Most people had no time to react; they were either starting or returning from their pilgrimage.”

A massive torrent of mud, water, rocks, and ice carved a path of destruction extending up to 64 km, sweeping away hotels, roads, and border infrastructure.

“In a matter of seconds, everything was wiped out. Two buses ahead of us were completely washed away, and I don’t think bodies can even be retrieved from there,” he added. “The hotel where we stayed and the immigration office we were supposed to visit no longer exist; there is no trace left. By God’s grace, we survived.”

Mallinath and Sangamesh remain stranded, waiting for road connectivity to be restored so they can return home.

While some survived, anxiety continues for families of other pilgrims. Rakesh Naik, a Dharwad native residing in Australia, went missing near the border. Rakesh was part of an Isha Foundation contingent on the Mansarovar circuit.

According to his brother-in-law, Praveen, Rakesh had reached Delhi on August 12 and was returning from the pilgrimage. “He called us around 3.30 am on Wednesday to say they were returning and planned to reach Kathmandu by morning before catching an evening flight to Australia,” Praveen said.

Rakesh is believed to have been inside the border immigration centre when the floods struck; the facility was entirely obliterated. His wife and two children are in Australia, and his parents in Dharwad, and they have appealed to the government for urgent assistance.

Another survivor, Murali S, noted that several sites where his group had stayed just days earlier were washed away. “All the places we stayed, including hotels and administrative buildings, have been destroyed. We are lucky to be alive,” he said.

Karnataka sets up helpline

Addressing the crisis, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara confirmed that state authorities are actively tracking stranded citizens.

“We have information that eight people from Bengaluru are stranded in Nepal, and steps are being taken to rescue them. We have no reports of fatalities among Karnataka residents so far,” Parameshwara said. He added that senior officials are being dispatched to Kathmandu while the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi is coordinating relief operations.

S Honnamba, Commissioner of the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), said that 13 inquiries had been received via state helplines. “We managed to establish contact with three individuals, who confirmed that a group of 23 people from Karnataka are safe. Severe network outages are hampering communication, but efforts are ongoing,” she said.

Family members seeking information regarding stranded people can reach out to the state control room: 1070 / 080-22253707