Actor Ankur Ratan, known for his roles in “Mai" and “Inside Edge", says he and his group had crossed Rasuwa, a Himalayan district in Nepal, half a day before the flash flood struck the region.

Ratan, in Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, said he is shocked to know that the places he stayed in are all swept away in the disaster that has claimed 547 lives so far as search and rescue operations continue.

A sudden, massive flood swept down the Bhote Koshi in Rasuwa district bordering Tibet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people and causing widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.

Ratan said he reached Kathmandu on August 22 as part of a group led by SAAD Mountaineers, a registered club in Maharashtra and crossed the area just 12 hours before.

“There were no warning signs that we were aware of at the time. The atmosphere was completely different, people were happy and excited to cross over for the yatra. We would p...