Indian Tourists Airlifted to Safety After Nepal Flash Floods

Rescue operations are underway in Nepal after a devastating flash flood, triggered by a glacier collapse near the Nepal-China border, swept through communities in the Nuwakot district. Military helicopters and ground teams have been working to evacuate those stranded, including a group of Indian tourists who were brought to safety at an army barracks.

Among those rescued was Navu Kabirdas, an Indian tourist who recounted the harrowing experience. Speaking after reaching safety, Kabirdas described how the sudden deluge overwhelmed two buses the group was travelling in. "All of a sudden, this incident happened and we lost two buses," he said. "Luckily, we escaped. We broke the driver's door and escaped from there."

The escape was a race against time. Kabirdas explained that the group managed to get out of the vehicle within five minutes, but the danger was far from over. They were forced to climb a rocky mountainside to reach higher ground, a trek that took around half an hour. "Everything happened in just 10 minutes," he added, describing the speed with which the disaster unfolded.

Footage from the scene shows rescued tourists resting at the barracks, with some checking their phones and others sleeping after the ordeal. The flood-affected area shows extensive damage, with the Trishuli river visibly swollen and overflowing its banks.

Search and rescue teams, including units with sniffer dogs, continue to comb through the affected zone for hundreds of people still reported missing. Helicopters are conducting aerial surveys and ferrying additional rescue personnel to remote locations as the operation enters its second day.