India, Aug. 30 -- A casual tea break may have saved the lives of five friends from Chhattisgarh who were caught in the devastating flash floods that swept through Nepal's Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river valleys.

What began as a brief pause during their holiday on August 26 turned into a narrow escape from a disaster unfolding around them.

The group spent the next two days taking shelter on higher ground, sleeping in a rented car and watching the swollen Trishuli river carry away vehicles, bodies and debris, according to news agency PTI.

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Amid the grim situation, one of the most comforting moments came when local women security personnel tied rakhis on their wrists to mark Raksha Bandhan.

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