Twenty-one Tamil Nadu pilgrims who were caught in devastating flash floods in Nepal have returned home after surviving a terrifying ordeal in the Himalayan region, where an ordinary saree became an improvised rescue lifeline.
The pilgrims were part of a 57-member group travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra when floodwaters and debris swept through their route in Nepal’s Rasuwa region on August 26. As the group scrambled up a steep, muddy slope to escape the rising water, a metal cable and R Poonguzhali’s saree were used to help stranded pilgrims climb to safer ground.
In one instance, a woman who could not manage the climb was asked to tie the saree around her waist so people above could pull her up. Poonguzhali’s husband, K Rathina Kumar, also went back towards the dangerous stretch to help others reach safety. The survivors later reached a relief camp and were evacuated with assistance from the Indian Embassy.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the 21 pilgrims in New Delhi and thanked the Nepal Government and Army for the rescue effort, while also appreciating the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu for facilitating their return. The wider crisis, however, remains unresolved. On August 31, Tamil Nadu said 220 of the 305 people from the state who had travelled to Nepal were confirmed safe, while 84 remained untraceable.
A Saree And A Fight To Reach Higher Ground
For the 21 survivors, the disaster began with little warning. Poonguzhali recalled that the group had initially mistaken the thick fog ahead for scenery and was preparing to take photographs when what appeared to be fog suddenly became a huge wall of water.
She described it as resembling a tsunami, with vehicles being swept away by the force of the flood. The group had been travelling in three buses as part of a 13-day tour organised by Super Yathirai Agency in Kumbakonam. A brief traffic hold-up caused by road construction had unexpectedly left their vehicles short of the worst-hit stretch.
“We were stuck in traffic for about 10 minutes and that 10 minutes saved our lives,” Poonguzhali told The New Indian Express, adding that moving ahead could have put them directly in the path of the flood. Once they realised the danger, the pilgrims abandoned the vehicle and began climbing a nearby hillside. But the escape was far from straightforward.
The road had been covered in thick mud, making the slope slippery and difficult to negotiate. A metal cable at the site was used to pull people up one by one, while those who reached higher ground helped others follow. When some women struggled to climb, Poonguzhali’s saree was brought into use. One woman who could not make the ascent was helped by tying the saree around her waist, allowing those above to pull her towards safety. Rathina Kumar then returned towards the dangerous stretch to assist others. “After we climbed uphill, we looked down and saw the flood raging just beneath our feet,” Poonguzhali recalled.
The Rescue Was Only One Part
The dramatic escape of the 21 pilgrims is now one of the more human stories emerging from a disaster that has left hundreds of Indian families anxiously waiting for information.
The survivors were eventually sheltered at a relief camp and later rescued by the Nepal Army, according to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. They were brought to Kathmandu before the Indian Embassy facilitated their return to India. On August 28, Jaishankar met the group in New Delhi and said he was moved by hearing their experiences first-hand.
He thanked the Nepal Army and Government of Nepal for their rescue efforts and praised the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu for ensuring the pilgrims’ smooth return. He also said the Indian Government remained focused on contacting Indians who were still stranded or untraceable and had offered Nepal support for its wider relief and rescue operations.
The Tamil Nadu Government’s latest figures underline why the story cannot be viewed only as a tale of survival. On August 31, Highways Minister Aadhav Arjuna told the state Assembly that 305 people from Tamil Nadu had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Yatra.
Of these, 220 had safely reached their destinations while 84 remained untraceable. The 57-member group travelling through Super Yatra from Kumbakonam was among those affected, with 21 already rescued. The state said it was working through the Indian Embassy to trace those still missing.
Three officials from Tamil Nadu House in Delhi were stationed in Kathmandu to coordinate with embassy officials, while a dedicated helpline had received 2,161 calls from families seeking information. Arjuna also said the State Government was prepared to take relatives of missing pilgrims to Kathmandu free of cost.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The story of the saree is compelling not because an item of clothing somehow defeated a natural disaster, but because it shows what people can do for one another when formal systems cannot immediately reach them. In a moment when floodwater, mud and debris had stripped away any sense of control, the pilgrims improvised with what they had and created a human chain of support.
Rathina Kumar going back towards danger to help others, Poonguzhali allowing her saree to be used as a makeshift lifeline, and survivors pulling one another towards higher ground all point to the same instinct: survival becomes more possible when people refuse to leave others behind.
At the same time, the wider situation demands that we look beyond the inspiring image. The 21 people are home, but dozens of families in Tamil Nadu were still waiting for news about relatives whose whereabouts had not been confirmed. Their anxiety reminds us that disaster response is ultimately about more than dramatic rescues; it is about timely communication, coordinated relief, accountability and ensuring that vulnerable people are not left without information when emergencies strike.
The cooperation between Nepalese authorities, the Nepal Army, Indian officials, the Indian Embassy and state authorities also shows the importance of countries working together when citizens are caught in disasters beyond their borders.
In the end, perhaps the most powerful symbol here is not the saree itself, but the willingness to use whatever is available to help another person climb to safety. When faced with a crisis that leaves people vulnerable and afraid, how much difference can simple acts of courage, cooperation and compassion make?
Also Read: Indian Rescue Team Sets Up Safety Ropes As Search Deepens In Nepal’s Flood-Hit Tunnels
