A Bottle of Water Made Him Miss the Bus, Hours Later, He Realized It May Have Saved His Life

GORKHA, NEPAL, September 2, 2026

Dataram Devkota, 75, from Naukhor in Palungtar Municipality, was preparing to travel with fellow villagers on a pilgrimage to Gosaikunda on August 26 when an unexpected delay changed everything. He went back to collect drinking water and returned to find that the bus had already left; hours later, his village learned that the same vehicle had been caught in the devastating flood in Rasuwa, leaving members of the pilgrimage group dead or missing.

A Journey He Almost Took

Dataram had expected to spend that morning travelling toward one of Nepal's most important pilgrimage destinations.

His plan to join the group had been finalized only shortly before departure, and he spent much of the night getting his belongings ready.

He understood that the pilgrims would gather early in the morning before beginning the long journey from Gorkha toward Gosaikunda.

But events unfolded much earlier than he expected.

The Bus Came Early

The vehicle arrived while Dataram was still at home preparing to leave.

Realizing that his fellow travellers were already moving, he hurried to get ready and tried to catch the bus.

It briefly stopped farther ahead at Mahadevatar, giving him another opportunity to join the group.

Dataram gathered his luggage and headed out.

Then he remembered something he had forgotten.

One Small Thing Changed Everything

Before leaving, Dataram went back for drinking water.

It was an ordinary decision, something almost anyone preparing for a long journey might do.

But those few extra moments inside his home were enough.

When he returned, the bus had already departed.

There was no way for him to know at the time how important that delay would become.

He Regretted Missing The Pilgrimage

Dataram had been looking forward to travelling with his neighbours.

After the bus disappeared down the road, he took his belongings back inside.

His immediate feeling was disappointment.

He had prepared for the trip, packed his things and almost reached the bus, only to miss it by minutes.

For a while, he believed he had simply been unlucky.

Then Everything Changed

Later that morning, alarming information began reaching Naukhor.

The vehicle carrying the pilgrims had reportedly been caught in the massive flood while travelling through Rasuwa.

Suddenly, Dataram's missed journey no longer felt unfortunate.

The bus he had been desperately trying to catch was now at the centre of a tragedy.

His Neighbours Were On Board

What made the news particularly painful was that many passengers were people Dataram knew personally.

The pilgrimage had brought together residents from his own community.

According to reports, some passengers managed to escape by jumping from the vehicle, while others were swept away and remained missing as rescue and recovery operations continued.

The disaster left Naukhor waiting for news about multiple members of the community.

The Numbers Have Changed During The Search

Early and later reports have given different figures for the passengers who died, survived or remained missing as search teams continued recovering victims.

Because of those changing figures, the entire group of around 32 affected villagers should not automatically be described as confirmed dead unless authorities provide an updated confirmation.

What is clear is that the pilgrimage tragedy affected dozens of people from Dataram's community, leaving families searching for relatives and the village in grief.

His Family Nearly Joined Too

Dataram was not the only member of his household who had considered travelling.

His son and daughter-in-law had also planned to make the pilgrimage, but their plans changed before departure.

They ultimately remained home.

It meant that three people from the same family who could have been travelling with the group were not aboard when disaster struck.

A Village That Expected Their Return

For families in Naukhor, the pilgrims had left home for a religious journey.

They were expected to return with memories and blessings from Gosaikunda.

Instead, families were suddenly searching for information about loved ones caught in one of Nepal's deadliest recent disasters.

The tragedy transformed an ordinary village departure into a painful period of waiting, searching and mourning.

Dataram Now Calls It Divine Protection

Dataram's interpretation of what happened has also changed.

The early departure of the bus and the few moments he spent getting water had initially frustrated him.

After discovering what happened to the passengers, he began seeing those obstacles as the reason he survived.

He believes God prevented him from reaching the bus.

For him, the bottle of water he nearly forgot has become connected forever with the morning his life could have taken a completely different direction.

Minutes Can Change A Life

There was no dramatic rescue in Dataram's story.

He did not escape rushing floodwater or climb from a damaged vehicle.

He simply missed his bus.

Normally, that would have been an inconvenience forgotten within days.

This time, it may have saved his life.

Yet Dataram's survival comes with a painful reality. While he remained safely at home, many of the neighbours he had expected to travel alongside were caught in the disaster.

What began as disappointment over a missed pilgrimage has therefore become something much heavier: gratitude for being alive alongside grief for the people who left without him.