Hyderabad pilgrim feared missing in Nepal floods returns home safely
HYDERABAD: Days of fear and uncertainty ended in relief for Hyderabad resident Alli Ilesha. The 35-year-old Kailash Mansarovar pilgrim returned home safely on Sunday night.
Ilesha had gone missing after floods hit Nepal on August 26. He was due to travel through the affected route two days later, as reported by TOI.
His group crossed the area on August 20 while travelling to Kailash. It planned to use the same route on its return on August 28.
“Our group crossed the area on Aug 20, while going on the yatra and was scheduled to cross it again on Aug 28, on our way back. I don’t think I would get to see my family again, had the calamity struck a few days earlier or later,” Ilesha told the Media on Monday.
The group spent about one-and-a-half days in Timure, Nepal. The area lies near the Rasuwagadhi border and suffered heavy damage from the floods.
Pilgrims unaware of Nepal disaster
Ilesha said the group was on the north face of Mount Kailash on August 26. They did not know about the disaster at the time.
“We were on the north face of Kailash Parvath on Aug 26 and were unaware that such a tragedy had struck. We got to know only when the communication lines were restored and our guides got instructions about not returning via Timure,” he said.
The group then changed its return route. It travelled through Kodari and reached Kathmandu airport.
“Because of the guidance, the entire group of 23 travellers and five representatives of the travel firm, were able to return to India safely,” he said.
Hotel call brings relief to family
Ilesha is an LLB graduate. His family remained worried until he called them from his hotel.
“Until then they were living in fear as they thought I was in the affected area. That’s because I had told them that I was hardly 20km away from Kailash Parvat when we spoke on Aug 25,” he said.
Ilesha said he felt relieved after completing the Kailash Parikrama. He was also coming to terms with the scale of the destruction.
The flash flood hit Timure and Syabrubesi in Nepal’s Rasuwa district on August 26. It damaged roads, bridges, hydropower projects and other infrastructure.
