Italian Tourists Survive Massive Flood and Landslide in Nepal

Two Italian citizens, photographer Stefano Lotumolo and Valentina Piccinini, survived a catastrophic flood and landslide near the border of Nepal and China. The pair were traveling in a small bus with a group of twelve people toward Mount Kailash for a pilgrimage when a massive wave of mud, debris, and water struck the area. Lotumolo reported that the group had only thirty seconds to escape the vehicle. Piccinini described seeing a brown cloud and hearing an immense roar before fleeing on foot and climbing a mountain to safety.

Piccinini recounted losing her footwear during the escape and becoming separated from the group. She was eventually assisted by a Nepalese soldier and local residents, including her guide, Tashi. The survivors spent the night in a stone house on a mountain with approximately forty Nepalese locals before being rescued by helicopters the following morning. Lotumolo described the destruction of the village of Timore as resembling scenes from a movie.

Both survivors are currently in Kathmandu. They reported losing all their belongings, including money and passports, and are working with the Italian consulate to obtain emergency travel documents. While the group of twelve survived, reports indicate that the disaster caused hundreds of deaths and missing persons in the region.