The group travelled around 100 kilometres from the Nepal border and crossed the border before reaching Gorakhpur Airport in Uttar Pradesh. From there, they returned home on two separate flights.
Among them, five people from Kasaragod landed in Bengaluru and then returned home by train. 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, were part of the Kasaragod group.
The remaining 31 members arrived at Nedumbassery Airport at 2:30 am on Sunday.
Recounting the horror, they said water surged in like a tsunami. Although they changed their route to escape, they got trapped in the forest in darkness after a landslide occurred.
"It was an adventurous trip and we were lucky. We were moving to Galtimunj for our next visit when suddenly the roads were closed. Later, we realised that the disaster had happened about 500 metres away from us. 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. We thank God for our lives," Rajini told ANI.
Another resident, Vinaya Kumar, said, "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. By 3 am in the morning, we got safe accommodation."
Pradeep Kumar said the group initially did not realise the seriousness of the situation.
"At first, we didn't realise what was happening. The vehicles were stopped and local residents started running 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 that it swept away trees and buildings. We stayed on the bus for hours and later, at night, started walking through the woods. By midnight, we got food and accommodation. Anyway, we thank God for our lives," he said.
Renjitha said the group had never expected such a disaster during the festive season.
"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. I thank God for my life," he told ANI.
Meanwhile, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) today issued an urgent public safety warning following reports of a sudden increase in the roar and water flow of the Bhote Koshi River.
Authorities have urged residents and relief teams along downstream settlements to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant.
In an official update posted on X, the NDRRMA cited alerts received from local authorities on the ground.
The fresh warning affects three major downstream districts that were severely impacted by the catastrophic August 26 flash floods.
Communities near the Rasuwa riverbank, including areas near the Nepal-China border, have been instructed to monitor water levels closely. Emergency services and local administration units along the river basin have been placed on standby in Nuwakot and Dhading.
"The District Administration Office, Rasuwa, has received information that the sound of increased flood flow in the Bhote Koshi River has been heard. Therefore, we request that caution be exercised in the areas around the river up to Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading. We will provide further updates as soon as additional information is received," posted NDRRMA, Nepal.
