Couple recounts surviving deadly Nepal flood: 'I knew I was going to die'

A couple from California has shared their harrowing account of surviving a devastating flash flood that struck a mountainous border area between Nepal and Tibet earlier this week. Anjana Raja and Pattabiraman Venkatesan, who were on a pilgrimage to Tibet, described the terrifying moment they realized they were in grave danger.

“

I knew I was going to die

"I knew I was going to die," Raja told CBS News, recounting the sudden appearance of a massive wall of water. Venkatesan described the approaching torrent as a "monster thing coming down," comparing it to a "tsunami, but dark black." The couple was on their tour bus in Nepal's Rasuwa District, near the border with China, when the avalanche of water, caused by a collapsing Himalayan glacier, descended upon them.

“

It's like 60, 70 feet, it looked like a tsunami, but dark black

In a desperate bid for survival, Raja grabbed Venkatesan and urged him to run. They abandoned their bus and scrambled up a set of steps, witnessing homes being swept away and hearing the screams of others caught in the deluge. "I saw death right in front of my eyes," Raja said.

“

I could see this monster thing coming down. At that point I didn't know if it was water. I thought it was fire, forest fire, honestly.

A guide eventually led them to safety on a flat area atop a nearby mountain after a treacherous climb. The couple's ordeal highlights the immense power of the natural disaster, which has claimed nearly 600 lives and left an estimated 2,500 people missing. The U.S. State Department reported that approximately 90 Americans are among those missing.

“

Run