There is still no information about the whereabouts of 77 pilgrims associated with the Isha Foundation who have been missing since a devastating flash flood hit areas near the China-Nepal border two days ago, according to the group’s coordinator.
The pilgrims, who were travelling under the banner of the Isha Foundation founded by spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadhguru, lost contact after the disaster struck in Gyirong, Tibet, near the Nepal border.
Maa Gambhiri, a coordinator with the group, said rescue operations were underway but authorities had yet to provide any information about the missing pilgrims.
She said Sadhguru had wanted to travel to Gyirong, where the flooding was reported to be most severe, to assist with relief efforts. However, he was unable to obtain the required permission to enter the affected area.
According to Gambhiri, the group comprised pilgrims from 19 different nationalities. The organisers have contacted embassies and government authorities in India, Nepal and China in an effort to locate the missing members and secure assistance.
“There has been no update on the 77 missing Isha Foundation pilgrims for the last two days,” Gambhiri said, adding that rescue personnel were continuing their efforts at the site.
The uncertainty has left the families of the missing pilgrims deeply distressed, she said, with 77 families waiting for information about their relatives.
The Isha Foundation conducts several Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage groups during the season. Pilgrims typically travel from Kathmandu into Nepal before entering Tibet, with portions of the journey involving trekking on foot.
In a statement shared on his official Facebook account on Wednesday, Sadhguru said one of the foundation’s pilgrimage groups was caught in the flash flood while making its way back toward Nepal.
The group was reportedly at the immigration facility in Gyirong when the flooding began. The building and large parts of the surrounding town were inundated. Sadhguru also said three volunteers from the group were stranded in Timure on the Nepal side of the border.
The 77 missing pilgrims reportedly include 22 US nationals, 12 Canadians, 11 Australians, nine British nationals, four Germans, three each from France and Nepal, and two each from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain. One pilgrim each is from Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.
The disaster has caused widespread destruction along the border region. Nepal police have reported at least 579 deaths, while close to 1,000 people remain unaccounted for.
(With inputs from PTI)