A couple from the San Francisco Bay Area who were on a pilgrimage to Tibet have recounted their harrowing escape from a catastrophic Himalayan flash flood, describing the moment they saw a massive wall of water rushing toward them.
"I knew I was going to die," Anjana Raja recalled of the terrifying ordeal. "I knew I was going to die."
The devastating flash flood occurred on Wednesday along a mountainous border region of Nepal and Tibet. A glacier in the Himalayas collapsed, sending torrents of water and debris crashing into the valleys below. The disaster has claimed the lives of nearly 600 people, with an estimated 2,500 others still missing as search and rescue teams search the area for survivors. On Friday, the U.S. State Department reported that approximately 90 Americans are estimated to be among those missing.
When the powerful avalanche of water surged down from the high peaks, the melting glacier and debris first struck the Nepali village of Timure. Raja and her partner, Pattabiraman Venkatesan, were nearby in their tour bus. The couple was undertaking their first pilgrimage to Tibet, an autonomous region of China that borders Nepal. Having traveled through Timure, they were sitting in their bus in Nepal's Rasuwa District, near the border with China, when what looked like a massive tsunami materialized.
"It's like 60, 70 feet, it looked like a tsunami, but dark black," Venkatesan said. "I could see this monster thing coming down. At that point I didn't know if it was water. I thought it was fire, forest fire, honestly."
Raja acted quickly, grabbing Venkatesan by the collar, pulling him, and telling him to run as they both leaped off the bus. Cellphone videos from the scene captured thousands of people running for their lives, with some individuals being swallowed by the churning water while others managed to climb to higher ground to await helicopter evacuation.
The couple sprinted up a flight of steps in a desperate attempt to reach safety. "Along the way, you know, houses were coming down, it was bringing down homes," Venkatesan said. Raja recalled hearing the screams of people being swept away by the floodwaters below. "I saw death right in front of my eyes," she said.
A guide directed them up a treacherous path to a flat area at the top of a nearby mountain. "So tall up, I don't know even how we climbed," Raja said. "It was really hard." Venkatesan described the path as "narrow and so slippery," covered in "mud and stones and rocks and everything."
They spent the night in a goat shed alongside several other survivors, including local residents and tourists, and were airlifted out the following day. All the passengers on their tour bus survived the disaster.
"The fact that we survived is nothing short of a miracle," Venkatesan said. He added that the experience has given them a renewed appreciation for life. "It strengthens my thought on life," Venkatesan said. "Be good, do good, think good, and leave the rest to whoever is above us. That's all I can say."
Related Articles
Meet Md. Rubel Rana
​As a core contributor to Worlddincidents.com, Rubel Rana brings a unique perspective to the world of journalism. Whether it’s deep-diving into historical trivia or covering the latest global headlines, Rubel Rana is committed to delivering high-quality, high-impact articles. Their writing blends meticulous research with a compelling voice, helping readers stay informed and curious about the world around them.