5 Tamil Nadu pilgrims stranded in flood-hit Nepal return safely to Chennai; Minister D Sarathkumar meets survivors

Chennai: Amid accelerating rescue operations following devastating flash floods in Nepal, five pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who were stranded in the Himalayan nation returned home safely on Tuesday.

Upon their arrival, Tamil Nadu Human Resource Management Minister D Sarathkumar received the rescued pilgrims at Chennai Airport and enquired about their well-being.

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According to Minister Sarathkumar, many Indians, including individuals from Tamil Nadu who had embarked on the Kailash Yatra, were stranded in Nepal due to heavy rains and severe flooding.

Sarathkumar further mentioned that out of the five pilgrims, three from Madurai district and two from Chennai district were flown from Delhi to Chennai yesterday.

One of the rescued pilgrims expressed gratitude to the state government for facilitating their safe return home. Recalling their narrow escape from the calamity, the pilgrim stated that they were initially unaware of the scale of the destruction as they were near the Chinese border, adding that the full extent of the massive disaster became evident only after they stepped outside.

"When the disaster occurred in Nepal, we were at Mount Kailash. Since we were near the Chinese border, we were initially unaware of the extent of the disaster. Only after we came outside did we realise that a massive disaster had occurred. In Tamil Nadu, which has a population of eight crore, the state government took steps to contact each of us through various means and rescue us. We are extremely grateful to the Tamil Nadu government for the efforts it undertook to rescue us..." the pilgrim told reporters.

Meanwhile, the number of Indian nationals rescued from the disaster-hit regions of Nepal has reached 163, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Tuesday.

In an update posted on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also noted that 151 Indian nationals left for China yesterday.

The developments come as the death toll from the catastrophic flash floods has climbed to 1,050, according to the comprehensive situation report released by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) as of 6 PM.

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The recovered human remains have been documented across severely and moderately impacted districts, including 321 in Chitwan, 216 in Nawalparasi East, 170 in Nawalparasi West, 142 in Nuwakot, 65 in Gorkha, 57 in Dhading, 41 in Rasuwa, and 38 in Tanahun. Additionally, around 3,916 individuals remain unaccounted for, including personnel from security agencies, customs, immigration, hydropower projects, and foreign nationals.

Emergency response efforts have successfully rescued 11,993 people to date. Aerial operations led by the Nepal Army have logged 610 total flights, including 84 flights conducted on September 1 alone, evacuating 4,091 Nepali citizens and 273 foreign nationals. Private sector flights from Kathmandu have contributed an additional 29 rotations, NDRRMA highlighted.