‘Felt like winning a war’: Manasi Parekh gets emotional as she returns to Mumbai amid Nepal-Tibet flash floods

Manasi was on Sadhguru's Isha Foundation's Kailash Mansarovar Yatra when the disaster unfolded on August 26.

Manasi Parekh is back in Mumbai after surviving a terrifying ordeal during her Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The actor was stranded near the Nepal-China border after flash floods and landslides hit the region. She finally returned home on Sunday, where she was met by her husband, singer Parthiv Gohil, and their daughter Nirvi.

Manasi Parekh finally returned home on Sunday, where she was met by her husband, singer Parthiv Gohil, and their daughter Nirvi.

A journey that suddenly turned terrifying

Manasi was on Sadhguru's Isha Foundation's Kailash Mansarovar Yatra when the disaster unfolded on August 26. A sudden glacial collapse sent a huge surge of water, ice and debris through the Himalayan valleys, leaving a trail of destruction behind. Manasi and the other pilgrims were only a few hours away from the immigration building in Gyirong when the flash flood struck.

Video from her arrival in Mumbai has since surfaced online, capturing an emotional reunion between Manasi and her husband, Parthiv, and their daughter. The family could be seen in tears as they hugged and held on to each other after finally being reunited following the terrifying ordeal.

Deep Dive

What events led to Manasi Parekh's emotional return to Mumbai after the Nepal-Tibet floods?

Why did Manasi Parekh describe her experience during the flood as 'winning a war'?

How did the flash floods impact other tourists in the area besides Manasi Parekh?

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As she looked back on the past few days, Manasi thanked everyone who had reached out to her and prayed for her safety. She said making it out of China and reaching Nepal felt like a battle in itself. She wrote on Instagram, "Thank you so much for all the love, messages, calls and prayers. The last 3-4 days have been overwhelming and getting out of China and reaching the Nepal border felt like winning a war".

What she said

Speaking exclusively to Hindustan Times, Manasi called the experience her "second lease on life". She said the group had no idea just how dangerous the situation would become and were simply not prepared for something of this magnitude. "I can never forget this experience. As expected, we were completely unprepared. Anything could have happened. A structure we counted on as a big, sturdy building was literally gone in moments".

The incident became even more frightening as how narrowly they had escaped being at the site when the disaster struck. Manasi revealed that the group was supposed to visit the same building for immigration just a day later. “We were slated to go to that building on Thursday for the immigration; we easily could have been inside. Hum wahan to jaane wale thhe, ab woh building hi nahi raha. Hum 24 ghanto se bach gaye... it could have been us. Poora ka poora gaon khatam,” she added.

The devastating scale of the disaster

The floods and landslides have left behind widespread destruction along the Nepal-Tibet border, claiming hundreds of lives and leaving thousands still missing. The disaster was triggered after a large section of glacier broke away at an altitude of around 5,200 metres. The sudden rush of ice, rocks and water blocked the Lende Khola River before sweeping through nearby areas.

The death toll across Nepal and Tibet has now risen to at least 804, while nearly 3,300 people are still unaccounted for. Nepal police have recovered 788 bodies from the affected areas, with 2,742 people yet to be traced. Among those missing are foreign nationals and workers employed at hydropower projects in the region.

Figures released by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Authority show that 933 of those missing are linked to regional hydropower projects. Another 592 are foreign nationals, while 127 are Nepali citizens who were travelling with foreign groups. Rescue teams have been working across the affected areas, with close to 20,000 security personnel deployed so far. Ground operations have resulted in 8,730 rescues, while helicopters have carried out 363 sorties and evacuated 3,081 people.

The extent of the destruction has also made the identification of victims particularly difficult. Several bodies were swept away by the powerful floodwaters and recovered far from where the disaster struck. Authorities said some remains were "found as mutilated, partial or severed remains, making visual identification extraordinarily difficult".