PATNA, Aug. 30 -- Altogether 106 pilgrims from Maharashtra, who were stranded in Kathmandu following flash floods in Nepal, were safely brought to Sitamarhi on Friday evening. They then left for Nagpur from Patna by train on Saturday morning, a senior official said. Bihar government officials said the group comprised 59 women, 42 men and five children. Their luggage was also brought back safely. The group had entered Nepal on August 19, with Pokhara, Muktinath and Kathmandu on its itinerary. Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of East Central Railway Saraswati Chandra confirmed that two additional AC-3 coaches were attached to train number 17609 departing from Patna to facilitate the tourists' safe journey to Maharashtra. A team from the Danapur division received the tourists and helped them board the train around 7 am. Earlier, Bihar chief secretary Pratyay Amrit spoke to the Railway Board chairman and sought assistance for the stranded tourists. According to a government statement, the pilgrims were brought to Sitamarhi from the India-Nepal border through coordination among various departments, following the instructions of chief minister Samrat Choudhary. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a post on X that the group, which had travelled to Nepal to visit Kathmandu and the Pashupatinath Temple, was safely brought back to Bihar on Friday evening with the help of the Bihar government and the local administration. After reaching Sitamarhi, the pilgrims were taken to Patna by bus late on Friday night, following which arrangements were made for their onward journey to Maharashtra by train. In view of the crisis, the Maharashtra government contacted the Bihar government. Following directions from the state government, the Sitamarhi district administration launched a relief operation. A special team reached the Nepal border, took all 106 pilgrims into its care and escorted them to Sitamarhi. Arrangements for food, safe drinking water and accommodation were made for the travellers at the Bhittha police station complex near Bhittha Mor along the border. Administrative officials remained at the spot and monitored their basic needs. After being safely evacuated, the pilgrims expressed gratitude to the Bihar government and the Sitamarhi district administration for their prompt response. Pilgrims Rekha Katir and Hemant Paliwal said that given the situation in Nepal, they had feared they would not return home alive. They said they felt relieved as soon as they crossed into India. Another pilgrim, Shridhar Maharaj, said the group had travelled to Pokhara and then Kathmandu by bus after reaching Gorakhpur by train. When they began their return journey on Thursday after attending a five-day Shiva Purana and Rudra Abhishek programme in Kathmandu, a Nepalese security guard stopped them about 40 km before their destination and told them that the road ahead had been closed due to flooding. The pilgrims were then forced to take shelter at the Pashupatinath Temple and a gaushala, where they faced a severe shortage of food and water. According to Vimal Bhatia and Devendra Paliwal, they were also in danger of missing their return train from Danapur, while there appeared to be no way out amid the catastrophic situation. The group contacted Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday, who immediately informed Sitamarhi MP Devesh Chandra Thakur about the situation. Thakur then coordinated with Kathmandu MP Sandeep Rana, following which special buses were arranged on Thursday morning to evacuate the pilgrims....