If they had reached Gyirong on time, they would have faced the wrath of the raging waters.

The toll in the August 26 Nepal flash flood reached more than 900 on Monday, and scores of others are still missing.

Two of those who were providentially saved, Burdwan's Kalyan Kumar Tah, 60, and Uttarpara's Anjana Sanyal, 69, could not believe their luck.

"We insisted that the driver stop at a tea stall because a few of us badly wanted some tea. The driver willingly stopped the bus near a tea stall, and the tea break literally became our lifesaver," Tah, a retired teacher, told The Telegraph.

Tah recalled that they had started their journey to Mansarovar, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, under the supervision of a tourism agency from Calcutta on August 21 by the Howrah-Raxaul Junction Mithila Express. The other team members were from several southern states.

After reaching Raxaul in Bihar on August 22, the group travelled to Kathmandu by road through Birgunj on August 23.

As the Chinese embassy in Delhi was closed for the next two days, visa issuance for the tourists was delayed. They had to stay put in Kathmandu till August 25.

After their visa clearance came on the night of August 25, the group of tourists started their journey towards the Gyirong immigration centre on the fateful morning of August 26.

"We were on the way by bus when a few of us, mostly from Bengal, said it would be nice to have a cup of tea on the road. I immediately conveyed the message to the bus driver and insisted that he stop at any place where we could refresh ourselves with tea. The driver was friendly and willing, and he stopped the bus near a tea stall. We enjoyed our tea break," said Tah, who retired from Shyamsundar Ramlal Adarsha Vidyalaya in East Burdwan in March this year.

According to him, the bus stopped at Bidur in Nepal for the tea break, from where the Nepal-China border was only 20 minutes away. The bus proceeded toward the border, but because of the tea-break delay, it got stuck in a queue of vehicles around 8.30am.

Suddenly, around 8.40am, some cops hurriedly ordered their bus to take a U-turn immediately, saying a flash flood was approaching the area. Local people started running along the roads, screaming for help.

"Our bus was stranded on a road beside the Bhote Koshi river. Following the cop alert, some of us started running in the opposite direction of the approaching floods. Some boarded the bus that had taken the U-turn," said Tah.

"We basically moved uphill, as far away from the floods as we could. Initially, we went 200 metres uphill and then another 100 metres, as the police insisted that a higher elevation would be safer," the retired teacher added.

"What we saw from the top was enough to curdle our blood with fear. We saw a massive gush of muddy, blackish water and stones washing away cars, shops and dwelling units in seconds," Tah said.

"Experiencing a flash flood was horrible," he added.

Sanyal, another retired schoolteacher from Uttarpara in Hooghly, echoed Tah. "The tea break at Bidur in Nepal saved our lives," she said. "We should also thank the Nepalese driver, who did not delay moving the bus upwards," she said. "I am a teacher and a tea lover. Whenever I get a chance, I have a cup of tea. Who knew our love for tea would save us?"

Tah added: "Being Bengali and a teacher, having a cup of tea has always been a joyful experience. Now, it has become a life-saving experience."

Both Tah and Sanyal said they would attempt another journey to visit Manasarovar in the near future.

"I will turn 70 soon," said Sanyal. "Those above 70 years of age can only visit Mansarovar and Kailash Parbat aerially. I will definitely go again."