Nepal floods: 106 Maharashtra tourists home, 84 more expected Saturday
Synopsis
Over a hundred Maharashtra tourists caught in Nepal's glacier-triggered flash floods are back on Indian soil — but the operation is far from over. With 84 more expected Saturday, multiple groups are navigating blocked roads and alternative mountain routes, while Mumbai runs a 24/7 war room and New Delhi's diplomatic machinery works overtime.
Key Takeaways
106 Maharashtra tourists stranded in flood-hit Nepal crossed back into India on Friday, 29 August .
Another 84 tourists are expected to return to India by Saturday .
Flash floods were triggered by glacier and ice-rock collapses along the Nepal-China border .
CM Devendra Fadnavis credited PM Narendra Modi and Dr S.
Jaishankar for enabling diplomatic support on the ground.
The Maharashtra SDMA has activated a 24x7 War Room in Mumbai; toll-free helpline 1070 is operational.
11 tourists from Nashik remain in Kathmandu and are being tracked by state disaster management teams.
A total of 106 tourists from Maharashtra stranded in flood-hit Nepal crossed back into India on Friday, 29 August, as a state-led rescue operation gained momentum, with another 84 people expected to return by Saturday. The evacuations follow devastating flash floods triggered by sudden glacier and ice-rock collapses along the Nepal-China border, which cut off several tourist and pilgrimage routes across the Himalayan nation.
Key Developments in the Rescue Operation
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a video conference with returning citizens to assess their well-being. Tourists expressed gratitude to the Maharashtra Government and the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) for swift coordination. Fadnavis credited the rescue's success to the direct involvement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of External Affairs Dr S. Jaishankar, which he said enabled critical inter-country diplomatic support and on-ground relief delivery.
Government agencies are tracking tourists from multiple Maharashtra districts, including Raigad, Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur.
How Each Group Is Being Moved
All 106 tourists from Nagpur district have been accounted for and confirmed safe. Of these, 4 individuals were flown directly to New Delhi, while the remaining 102 travelled by bus to Patna, Bihar, where they stayed overnight before boarding a Nagpur-bound train at 7:00 am on Saturday.
A 45-member tour group organised by Sangamner-based operator Darshan Gunjal — comprising 27 individuals from Ahilyanagar, 12 from Nashik, 5 from Pune, and 1 from Mumbai — reached safety in Chitwan, Nepal. With direct routes to Kathmandu severely blocked, the group detoured through Lumbini to re-enter India via Ayodhya on Saturday.
A 37-member pilgrimage group organised by the Jai Girnari Shivdutta Mandir Trust from Raigad reached Saga, China, assisted by two accompanying doctors. All members are reported to be in good health. The group navigated alternative mountain routes to Kathmandu Airport to board their scheduled return flight to India on Saturday.
Meanwhile, active ground efforts by the State Disaster Management Department continue to secure 11 tourists from Nashik currently located in Kathmandu.
War Room and Helpline Activated
The Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has established a round-the-clock War Room at the state secretariat in Mumbai. Citizens seeking urgent updates or reporting stranded relatives can reach the toll-free helpline at 1070.
District Collectors across the state have been directed to collect real-time data through digital geo-tracking from both urban and rural local bodies. Affected citizens or their families can submit exact location details via a dedicated state portal.
What Happens Next
State authorities continue to monitor developments in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs and local Nepalese administrations. The focus now shifts to the remaining stranded citizens, with officials working to ensure all tourists return safely in the coming days.
Point of View
Ayodhya, and alternative mountain passes to Kathmandu Airport is not standard protocol; it is improvisation under pressure. The real question is why hundreds of Indian tourists were in high-risk Himalayan zones without a real-time tracking mechanism in place before the disaster struck. The SDMA's geo-tracking portal and war room are reactive fixes — the absence of pre-travel registration for high-risk destinations remains a structural gap that this crisis has exposed again.
NationPress
29 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Maharashtra tourists were stranded in Nepal due to floods?
At least 190 tourists from Maharashtra were stranded in flood-affected regions of Nepal. Of these, 106 returned to India on Friday, 29 August , with another 84 expected to return by Saturday .
What caused the floods in Nepal that stranded the tourists?
The flash floods were triggered by sudden glacier and ice-rock collapses along the Nepal-China border , cutting off major roads and tourist routes across the Himalayan nation.
What is the Maharashtra government doing to help stranded tourists?
The Maharashtra SDMA has set up a 24x7 War Room at the state secretariat in Mumbai. CM Fadnavis held video conferences with returning tourists, and District Collectors are using digital geo-tracking to monitor those still stranded. A toll-free helpline, 1070 , is also operational.
Which districts in Maharashtra are affected by the Nepal flood crisis?
Tourists from Raigad, Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Pune, Mumbai, and Nagpur are among those affected. All 106 tourists from Nagpur have been confirmed safe and are en route home.
How can families of stranded tourists get help or information?
Families can call the Maharashtra government's toll-free helpline at 1070 for urgent updates. They can also submit exact location details of stranded relatives through the state's dedicated geo-tracking portal operated by the SDMA.
