Maharashtra Pilgrims Return Home Safely After Being Stranded by Nepal Floods
Pilgrims from Maharashtra who were stranded in Nepal while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra have safely returned home after enduring days of landslides, road closures, and communication blackouts caused by severe flash floods.
In Thane, resident Sanjay Patankar confirmed that his brother Satish and sister-in-law, who were travelling in Nepal, arrived home safely. The family experienced intense anxiety after communication networks outside Kathmandu collapsed following the disaster. Sanjay stated that they initially contacted the local office of the 'Hills and Trails' travel group, where representative Charuhas Joshi noted that he lacked specific information due to network outages.
Following the ordeal, Sanjay Patankar called for improved tracking systems for travellers. He suggested creating a standard template and making it mandatory for people undertaking such journeys to submit proper identification and personal details to facilitate missing persons tracking during emergencies.
Flash floods hit Nepal on August 26, destroying roads and bridges and cutting off connectivity across multiple routes. Coordinated rescue and evacuation efforts involving the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office and the disaster management office helped stranded travellers move to safety.
Among those rescued were 37 pilgrims from Maharashtra, including Pune resident Smita Pradeep Pawar and three others who were stranded at Kerung (Gyirong). The group had departed from Mumbai on August 16 and returned to Maharashtra from Kathmandu on Saturday. Pawar recalled navigating the route without internet access as conditions in Saga deteriorated.
Mumbai resident Aarti Sharma, who left on August 17, reported that her group had to navigate through three landslides near a river and change multiple modes of transport. Several senior citizens in the group fell ill during the difficult journey and required hospital treatment.
Additionally, another group of nearly 100 Maharashtra pilgrims crossed into India through Bihar. They arrived in Patna and boarded a train to Nagpur, with assistance from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Office to help them reach their respective hometowns.
