'Saw Lord Shiva's Face When Water Came Hurtling Down': Kailash Pilgrims To NDTV

A group of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who were headed for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra but were caught in deadly floods that tore through the Nepal-Tibet region have said that they were saved by Lord Shiva.

Speaking to NDTV's CEO and Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal at Kathmandu airport after their escape, the group claimed they saw the face of Lord Shiva on a hillside when the floodwaters hurtled down towards them on Wednesday.

"We were there to take (Lord Shiva's) blessings. But due to the disaster, we couldn't go there. But after the disaster, on the hillside, when the flood came, we saw the face of Lord Shiva," the women pilgrims said.

"Lord Shiva came to save us," they added.

They also showed a picture, claiming that the mud and debris left behind on the hill resembled Lord Shiva.

They were among hundreds of people who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a Himalayan peak in southwestern Tibet that is considered the home of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.

"We were a team of 60 people. We came in three buses. Suddenly we saw some huge smoke near the riverbank. We thought it was some blast. Then the water came with the mud and sand," a pilgrim, who was heading towards the Chinese border, recounted.

"We escaped through the driver seat. We climbed a small hill," she added.

A drone view shows mud covering buildings and property following floods at Trishuli in Nuwakot district, Nepal
Photo Credit: REUTERS

Another pilgrim said that one side of their bus was blocked by the vehicles.

"We climbed from the other side one by one," she said, calling it a "very dangerous" situation.

Nepal Flood Deaths Rise To 482, Over 170 Indians Still Missing

The death count from flash floods in Nepal and Tibet rose to 482 on Friday as search-and-rescue operations continued for a third day.

Nearly 1,500 people are still missing, including 178 Indians.

More than 1,500 injured and stranded people have so far been rescued from various affected regions.

A drone view shows mud covering properties following a flash flood in Trishuli, Nuwakot district, Nepal
Photo Credit: REUTERS

Nepal police on Friday morning also issued a fresh alert after receiving information that a dam on the Tibet side has burst.

Thousands of security personnel and rescue and relief workers were told to stay on high alert and immediately move to a safe location if necessary.