Pilgrim group escapes Nepal flash flood thanks to 'miracle' staircase

A group of pilgrims narrowly escaped a flash flood in Nepal, finding refuge on a concrete staircase located right where their vehicle stopped, allowing them to move to higher ground.

Natalia Rjumin-Girardet, a 70-year-old yoga teacher, was traveling on 26/8 with a group of eight pilgrims of various nationalities on a spiritual journey to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Their bus was moving along the Bhotekoshi river when the flash flood disaster struck.

"Suddenly, I saw our group's cook jump out of the bus window. Someone else opened the door, and I saw a giant mountain in the mist," Rjumin-Girardet recounted to a reporter by phone from her hotel in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 2/9.

She then realized that the "mountain" was a giant wall of water and mud. "I saw everyone start running, so I ran too. We only had about one to two minutes to get out of the bus," she said, her voice still trembling.

The scene of devastation after the flash flood in Dhading district, Nepal, on 2/9. Photo: AFP

Right where the bus stopped, a small concrete staircase appeared, allowing the group to quickly escape. After ascending the stairs, the entire group ran up the hillside. No one remembered how they reached higher ground; they were all in a state of shock.

"Those steps saved us. We were incredibly fortunate," said Rjumin-Girardet, who is Swiss of Russian origin.

Once safe, she turned back and witnessed the devastation below. "I saw houses, cars, even buses swept away by the floodwaters. It was truly terrifying," she recounted, adding that the group only later grasped the true scale of the disaster. Their hotel and the entire village of Syabrubesi were completely destroyed.

According to the latest figures, rescue teams have recovered over 1,100 bodies, while nearly 4,500 people remain missing.

Video recreating the path of the Nepal flash flood. Video: BBC

The members of Rjumin-Girardet's group consider their survival a "miracle". "If we had arrived two to three minutes earlier or later, we might not have been so lucky," she stated.

The first night after the flash flood, the group huddled together in a small shed on the hilltop, enduring the cold and rain. "We barely slept," she added.

The next morning, helicopters evacuated them to another area. The army then took the group to Kathmandu. Having lost her phone on the bus, Rjumin-Girardet was later able to inform her relatives of her survival, thanks to a friend who had her sister's phone number.

To this day, the group members maintain a close relationship. "For us, 26/8 has become a significant day, marking our rebirth," she shared.

Currently, she has not decided whether to return to Switzerland or continue her journey. However, she hopes that everyone can learn from this experience. "I hope people will have more compassion for others. Perhaps our world can change a little for the better," Rjumin-Girardet stated.