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Chennai: Tearful embraces, hushed prayers, and narrow escapes marked the scene at the airport here as the Nepal flood survivors arrived safely.

Twenty-one pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, caught in the jaws of catastrophic disaster in Nepal, set foot on home soil, carrying with them memories of horror and astonishment at having survived.

The group was part of a larger contingent undertaking the sacred Kailash Manasarovar Yatra when tragedy struck on August 26. A sudden, violent burst of flash floods and massive landslides tore through the mountainous Rasuwagadhi region near the Nepal-China border, transforming a serene spiritual journey into a desperate fight for life.

“It felt like a tsunami falling from the mountains,” said one survivor, trembling as she embraced her weeping family. “Within seconds, the water swept away everything. The entire market area in Timure disappeared right before our eyes,” she said.

The disaster claimed numerous lives and left hundreds missing across the region, including several other Indian travelers. For the Tamil Nadu pilgrims, safety came in the form of a grueling trek to a border police outpost, where local authorities managed to shelter them before facilitating their transit to Kathmandu.

Through coordinated efforts between central and state officials, the group was flown back via New Delhi from Kathmandu, and landed in Chennai on an Air India flight on Friday night.

They were received at the airport by state Ministers N Anand (Rural Development and Water Resources) and D Sarathkumar (Human Resources and Management), who oversaw their immediate welfare and transport home.

For these 21 survivors, the relief of returning home is inextricably bound to the haunting memory of a raging river that took so much in mere moments.

Some of the survivors shared stories of the devastation they witnessed, noting that entire market areas in Timure were swept away in moments. The incident, which triggered massive landslides and flooding, claimed numerous lives and left hundreds missing, including other Indian travellers.

Later, speaking to reporters, Anand said four Tamil Nadu ministers sent to Delhi on instruction from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay were coordinating well in the national capital.

“Our efforts will continue till everyone is brought back home safely,” he said.

Two women from Tiruchirappalli – Vallinayaki and Karpagam – recounted their harrowing experience surviving a natural disaster in Nepal.

They were traveling in a bus towards the Chinese border when they encountered a massive landslide. They described seeing a thick, smoke-like cloud of mud and debris (resembling wet concrete) rushing down the mountain.

With no immediate external help, the 21 passengers on their bus worked together to survive. They escaped through the driver’s side and climbed a steep, rugged mountain terrain. When some women struggled to climb, they used a sari to pull each other to safety, before help finally came, they said.

They eventually reached a rescue centre after an arduous two-and-a-half-hour climb through difficult, pathless terrain.

The group emphasised the critical role played by the Nepal Army and local authorities in their rescue. They also credited the Tamil Nadu and Central governments for coordinating swift rescue efforts and providing assistance with travel and documentation.

The survivors expressed deep gratitude for their miraculous escape but requested privacy and sensitivity regarding others who are yet to be traced, noting that constant inquiries are difficult for the families involved.