21 Nepal flash flood survivors from Tamil Nadu safely arrive in Delhi

The 21 Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who survived the flash floods that hit Nepal’s Rasuya region on Wednesday arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport and met external affairs minister S Jaishankar.

Senior govt officials and BJP ‘s Tamil Nadu chief Nainar Nagenthran was also present.

The group was part of the 57 pilgrims who left for the yatra on August 24 through a travel agency based in Kumbakonam. They were travelling in three buses, two of which were hit in the flash floods and left 36 people missing. The survivors were housed in camps at an Armed Police Force outpost in Timure, around 160 km north of Kathmandu.

“Received a group of 21 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who were rescued from the floods in Nepal. Was moved to hear their experience first hand. Thank the Nepali Army headquarters and the Embassy of India in Kathmandu for this rescue effort. Appreciate facilitation of their smooth return to India,”Jaishankar wrote on X.

Earlier, a four member team of state ministers arrived at New Delhi to monitor the steps underway to facilitate the return of over 80 people from the state who were stranded in Nepal after the disaster. The group included ministers Aadhav Arjuna, A Rajmohan,R Vinoth and Thangam Thennarasu. They met officials at a control room set up at Tamil Nadu House to take stock of the situation. They also met the 21 rescued pilgrims at the venue later.

“I am happy. But, there were 40 more people with us who remain out of contact,” said Navu Kabirdoss, one of the 21 returnees. Minister Rajmohan said that around 83 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry who were in Nepal when the incident took place remained missing.

The four ministers also met foreign secretary Vikram Misri to discuss the ongoing rescue operations. The state delegation said the control room in Tamil Nadu received over 900 calls in the last two days.

In an announcement made in the state assembly on Thursday, Rajmohan said 106 pilgrims, including three from Puducherry, had gone to Nepal for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in multiple groups.