NZ pilgrims' lucky escape: Tour operator's decision spared group from Nepal floods

A group of New Zealanders trekking one of the world's most sacred pilgrimage routes came within hours of catastrophe last week. More than half a dozen pilgrims circling Mount Kailash in Tibet were scheduled to cross back into Nepal on Wednesday, the same day a flash flood tore through the border region, killing over 1,200 people and leaving 4,200 missing. They never made that crossing. Their tour operator, Rajesh Chauhan, had decided the day before to move the group forward by 24 hours—a choice that placed them safely on the Chinese side of the frontier when the disaster struck.

The Mount Kailash pilgrimage is no casual trek. The 53-kilometer circuit around the mountain demands physical endurance at altitudes above 5,000 meters, where the air is thin and the terrain unforgiving. Hindu tradition holds that Lord Shiva sits in eternal meditation atop the peak, sustaining the cosmic order, which is why pilgrims are forbidden from climbing to the summit. Instead, they circumambulate the mountain—a three-day walk that tests the body from every angle. Lake Manasarovar, nearby and equally sacred, is believed to cleanse a lifetime of sins for those who bathe in its waters and complete the circuit. For Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, this journey represents one of the holiest acts of devotion possible.

Chauhan, leading the group on their pilgrimage, made his decision based on practical concern for acclimatization. The group had finished their demanding walk around the mountain and needed time to adjust to the conditions before crossing the border. Because this was his second time leading the route, he understood the risks. He told his operators they should leave a day earlier than planned. The group departed Kathmandu on Monday morning, reached the town of Rasuwa by evening, spent the night, and crossed into Tibet the following morning. By Tuesday afternoon, they were safely through the Gyirong Port immigration building and into Chinese territory. Hours later, the floodwaters came.

Chauhan, speaking from Darchen in Tibet's autonomous region, described the shock of learning what had happened. The group had limited connectivity in the mountains and only discovered the disaster sometime after it occurred. When asked about the timing, Chauhan attributed the decision to divine intervention. "I think it's not me who saved their lives but Lord Shiva," he said. "It's not my decision but the god's." For a man leading pilgrims to a mountain they believe is the seat of cosmic equilibrium, the language of faith seemed the only adequate frame.

Other New Zealanders who had completed the pilgrimage in recent weeks were devastated by what they learned. Amar Prakash, an Auckland resident who had circled Mount Kailash twice, crossed back into Nepal on August 2—weeks before the flood. He had returned this year to share the experience with family members, including his parents and a cousin, after the pilgrimage had transformed his life during a difficult period. He was going through a divorce when he first made the journey in June of last year, at a low point emotionally and spiritually. The trek challenged him in every dimension—physically, mentally, emotionally—and when he returned to New Zealand, he began to see positive changes. This year, he noticed something different: because 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, an occurrence only once every 60 years, the number of Tibetan pilgrims had surged dramatically.

When Prakash learned of the flood, he tried to reach people he had met during his recent trip. He could not. The hotel where his group had stayed weeks earlier had been washed away. The guide who had helped them in China was missing. "Without her, our pilgrimage wouldn't have been complete," he said. It took him time to fully accept that the places he had walked through just weeks before no longer existed. Monark Panchal, another Aucklander who made the pilgrimage this year, had trained extensively in advance. He described the third day of the trek—crossing Dolma La Pass at 5,600 meters above sea level—as the toughest. The descent was equally treacherous: a steep 7-kilometer drop down the Himalayan plateau. After the flood, Panchal tried to contact people he had met on the trail. "It's all washed out actually and very sad," he said. "Since the disaster, I'm really disturbed and a bit stressed thinking about all the people that I know."

Five New Zealanders remain unaccounted for: Dejan Kuzmic, Shweta Mhatre, Mihir Patel, Kinnari Patel, and Suhasini Reddy. Reddy's family has urged rescuers to continue searching, as conflicting reports about her status have circulated online. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed on Tuesday that there had been no change to the status of the five missing. A total of 330 foreign nationals have been rescued, but no New Zealanders were among them. Despite the loss and the ongoing uncertainty, Chauhan, Panchal, and Prakash all said they intend to return. Prakash vowed to come back next year. "Nepal is a beautiful country and so is the Tibet side," he said. "The pilgrimage creates a lot of jobs, creates a lot of money flow within the economy and so I think it's important that, where possible, we should still support and go through this journey because we shouldn't let this devastation stop us." The sacred circuit continues to call.