Nepal flash flood: T.N. pilgrims stranded in Nepal; officials coordinating steps to rescue them - The Hindu

**Flash Floods Ravage Nepal, Leaving Hundreds Dead and Indian Pilgrims Missing**

A massive flash flood swept through the remote districts of northern Nepal on [date], following a sudden landslide that dislodged a glacial lake and sent a torrent of water and debris down the Karnali‑Bheri river basin. According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, the disaster has claimed at least **157 lives**, with dozens more injured and many villages completely wiped out. Meteorologists traced the event to an intense **western disturbance** that brought heavy, unseasonal rainfall, destabilising the already fragile mountain slopes and triggering the glacier‑melt surge.

Among the victims are **133 Indian pilgrims from Tamil Nadu** who were part of a religious convoy traveling the historic trade corridor that has linked the Himalayas with the Indian plains for centuries. The pilgrims, who were on a pilgrimage to the sacred sites of Kailash‑Manasarovar, became stranded when the flood washed away bridges and blocked mountain passes. Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs, in collaboration with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, and the Indian Armed Forces’ Northern Command, has launched a joint rescue operation. Helicopter sorties, high‑altitude trekker teams, and river‑craft units are being deployed to locate survivors, deliver relief supplies, and evacuate the missing pilgrims to safe zones.

The flood has also disrupted the ancient **Himalayan trade route**, a lifeline for local economies that facilitated the movement of goods and culture across the border for generations. Authorities are assessing the damage to infrastructure, including roads, footbridges, and telecommunication lines, while the Nepalese government has appealed for international aid to rebuild and reinforce vulnerable settlements. Experts warn that climate‑induced glacial melt and erratic weather patterns could increase the frequency of such catastrophes, urging both Nepal and neighboring India to develop coordinated early‑warning systems and disaster‑risk reduction strategies.

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