‘No Update For Two Days’: Isha Foundation Says 77 Members Still Missing In Nepal-Tibet Flood

Last Updated:August 29, 2026, 06:39 IST

Rescue teams are operating in the affected areas, but there has been no information about the group so far.

Fire and rescue personnel prepare a drone before carrying out rescue operations on a section of a road leading to Gyirong Port in China’s western Tibet region. (AFP photo)

There has been no word on the whereabouts of 77 members of an Isha Foundation pilgrimage group who went missing after a massive flash flood struck the China-Nepal border region, the group’s coordinator said on Friday.

Maa Gambhiri, a coordinator with the group, told PTI that the pilgrims, from 19 nationalities, have remained out of contact for two days. Rescue teams are operating in the affected areas, but there has been no information about the group so far.

“There has been no update on the 77 missing Isha Foundation pilgrims for the last two days. The rescue teams are on the ground but there is still no information yet,” she said.

“There are 77 families waiting desperately for the answers. It is an emotional turmoil for them,” Gambhiri added.

Pilgrims Were Returning From Kailash Yatra

The Isha Foundation, founded by spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, organises several Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage groups each season. The pilgrims travel from Kathmandu through Nepal to Tibet before returning along the same route.

Sadhguru said in a message on Wednesday that one of the foundation’s groups was caught in the flash flood while returning to Nepal. The group was at the immigration office in Gyirong when the flood struck, inundating the building and parts of the town.

Gambhiri said Sadhguru wanted to travel to Gyirong, described as the ground zero of the disaster, to assist with relief efforts but did not receive the necessary approval.

She said the foundation had contacted embassies in India, China and Nepal, as well as various government offices and ministries, seeking information and assistance.

19 Nationalities Among Missing

The missing group includes 22 US nationals, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia and nine from the UK. Others are from Germany, France, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.

The flash floods, triggered by a glacial collapse, have caused widespread destruction across Nepal and Tibet.

According to Nepal Police, at least 579 people have been killed in the disaster, while hundreds remain missing.

(With inputs from PTI)

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What caused the glacial collapse and flash floods?

The flash floods in Nepal were caused by a glacial collapse, not an earthquake. Satellite imagery and seismic analysis confirmed that a part of a glacier fell off, creating an ice-rock avalanche and debris flow. This event generated seismic activity that was initially mistaken for an earthquake.

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