“We were terrified.” These were the words of 58-year-old Varsha Upadhyay as she recounted the panic and uncertainty faced by a group stranded in Nepal amid devastating floods along the Nepal-Tibet border.

Upadhyay was among a group of 118 people who had travelled to Nepal for a Shiv Puran recitation. Four members of the group – Indira Chaudhari, Varsha Upadhyay, Deepak Pandey and Sulochana Khapre – returned to Nagpur on Saturday around noon after being stranded in Kathmandu.

The group had travelled to Nepal on August 19. They first spent around four days in Pokhara before proceeding to Kathmandu. Their return journey was scheduled for August 28, but worsening conditions and restrictions on movement left them stranded.

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“We were terrified. We were just 100 kilometres from the place that was flooding, and listening to all the gruesome stories was just terrifying,” Upadhyay told after reaching Nagpur.

The group had travelled with Shridharacharya Maharaj, also known as Panditji, for the Shiv Puran recitation. According to Upadhyay, the initial days of the trip passed peacefully, with the group travelling to several places. The situation changed suddenly as reports of floods, damaged bridges and rising rivers began emerging.

Nepali MP’s help

The tourists eventually took shelter at Maheshwari Sadan in Kathmandu. Upadhyay said they were assisted by a Nepali MP, whom she identified as Rana, who helped connect them with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

“When the chief minister spoke to us over a video call and said, ‘Tension sodun dya’ (don’t worry), we felt relieved,” Upadhyay said.

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Fadnavis subsequently facilitated the return of more than 106 passengers who were stranded in Nepal. Four members of the Nagpur group travelled from Kathmandu to Delhi by flight on Friday afternoon and then boarded the Kerala Express for Nagpur, reaching the city around noon on Saturday.

The decision to travel by air to Delhi was also prompted by the deteriorating health of Chaudhari. “The families of the four of us stayed in touch. Our children also felt it would be better to come to India by plane since Indira was unwell,” Upadhyay said.

The group said their difficulties intensified when they attempted to begin their return journey from Kathmandu. The Nepal Police stopped them from proceeding towards India as flood-related disruptions had affected roads and bridges.

Deepak Pandey, another member of the group, said the situation had been normal until the disaster struck.

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“For about eight to 10 days, things were going well. But then, disaster struck. Bridges collapsed, and the rivers surged with floodwaters. Everything came to a standstill. The police wouldn’t let us pass. We were at a complete loss as to what to do,” Pandey said.

He said the intervention from the Maharashtra chief minister provided reassurance to the stranded passengers.

“Then, we received a call from the chief minister himself, and he resolved the entire situation for us. His call reassured us, and things worked out for the best. He did a great job,” Pandey said.

The tourists’ return comes as Nepal and Tibet continue to grapple with the aftermath of catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border. Rescue operations were continuing on Saturday, with hundreds of deaths reported and thousands of people still missing.

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Asked how she felt after returning home, Upadhyay said, “It feels really good to be back. I am very happy to see my family again.” Upadhyay is on her way to Hinganghat – around 80 km from Nagpur. “We will stay for a day in Nagpur, and I will be on my way to Hinganghat tomorrow,” she said.