Sulosh Pillay and her daughter, Keshni, have landed at the King Shaka International Airport in Durban after narrowly escaping devastating floods in Nepal.
They are among nine South Africans who have returned home after surviving floods and landslides that struck the country.
Seven members of the group arrived in Johannesburg, while Pillay and her daughter continued to Durban. They had travelled to Nepal with the Mohanji Foundation South Africa on a spiritual pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
The group left the affected area two days before the floods and landslides struck.
Pillay says their homecoming is bittersweet.
She says while they are grateful to be safe, their thoughts remain with the six South Africans who are still reported missing.
“Well for us it is a bittersweet moment. Obviously, the sadness is that we couldn’t bring the Maharajs, we couldn’t bring the Pillays, we couldn’t bring Terricia back to South African soil. That we had gone there for a pilgrimage and we survived that by two days. And for us, we are extraordinarily grateful to be given a second lease on life. But having said that, we are very, very sad for the families who have lost so much. But most of all, for the Nepalese people. They are so hardworking, they are so poor.”
VIDEO |Keshni Pillay has praised Nepalese efforts to help flood victims:
Keshnie says they were heartbroken to see areas they had walked through just two days earlier, completely destroyed by the floods. She says the devastation was difficult to process.
She adds that the kindness of the Nepalese people, who opened their homes, shared food and helped them get to safety, is something she will never forget.
“We had gone through those villages on the borderline. We’d known those people; they took us into their homes. And the thought that they are no more is really heartbreaking for us. We are obviously very relieved that all nine South Africans who had gone through the Mohanji International Foundation are coming back safely. We really are very grateful to the Mohanji International Foundation. Mohanji himself checked on all of us. We have extreme gratitude for that.”
-Report by Gcinokuhle Malinga
