Tea Break Saves Five Chhattisgarh Friends From Nepal Flash Flood Fury

A tea break in Nepal turned into a life saving decision for five friends from Chhattisgarh who narrowly escaped the devastating flash floods that swept through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river valleys on August 26.

Narayan Sen, Dinesh Ojha, Prem Singh Jagat, Yatendra Prakash and Dinesh Singh Thakur, all aged between 50 and 60 and residents of Raipur’s Mana Camp area, returned home on Saturday after leaving Nepal on August 28. Their ordeal came as the wider disaster's death toll in Nepal climbed to 734, with more than 2,400 people still missing, according to the latest reports.

The five had left Raipur on August 21 and reached Nepal the next day. They had hired a car and planned to visit the Pashupatinath Temple, Manakamana Temple and other tourist attractions.

At around 9.30 to 10 am on August 26, they stopped for tea at a hotel in Malekhu town of Dhading district. Narayan Sen, 53, who runs a salon, said the brief stop may have saved their lives.

“We were lucky that we stopped for tea on August 26. If we had left 10 to 15 minutes earlier, we might have got trapped,” Sen told PTI.

While at the hotel, they learnt that a bridge ahead had been washed away. The hotel, owned by an Indian, provided them with food and assistance as the situation deteriorated.

The friends then witnessed the devastating force of the Trishuli River, seeing vehicles, bodies and debris being swept away. They moved to higher ground in Malekhu and spent the night in their car, with local residents and authorities helping them.

Thakur, a 55 year old police head constable, said they were about 50 km from Pashupatinath when the floods struck. There was no electricity or water, but local authorities assured them they were safe at the elevated location.

The group remained in contact with their families through the internet and used the Indian government helpline to share their location. They eventually left Nepal on August 28.

Amid the fear and devastation, local women security personnel tied Rakhis on the men's wrists. Thakur described the gesture as their most comforting moment during the ordeal.

The friends said the scenes of people searching desperately for missing relatives and the destruction left by the floods would remain with them forever.