A Swiss pilgrim barely escaped the landslide that devastated part of the Nepal-China border during a spiritual journey to Mount Kailash in Tibet. Yoga teacher Natalia Rjumin-Girardet, 70 years old, was in a bus with eight other pilgrims of different nationalities when a huge wave of water and mud hit the road on the banks of the Bhotekoshi River.
For her, survival was the result of "divine providence." She told AFP by phone from a hotel in Kathmandu that she saw the group's cook jump through the bus window. When someone opened the door, she saw a huge mountain in the mist, which was actually the wave of mud and debris approaching.
The landslide released energy far superior to that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, according to calculations mentioned in the article. The tragedy occurred during what was supposed to be a spiritual pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a destination considered sacred by several religions.
