Sadhguru says 77 Isha Foundation pilgrims missing in Nepal flash floods: 'Ready to join rescue ops'

Spiritual leader Sadhguru on Wednesday expressed deep anguish over flash floods along the, which swept away an immigration office housing a Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrim group. Issuing a statement, Sadhguru said 77 pilgrims and three volunteers associated with the Isha Foundation were at the ill-fated center during the tragedy. He said while 495 people from 21 groups have returned safely, hundreds of pilgrims remain in Tibet and Nepal.

Moreover, Sadhguru confirmed he is personally present in the region to coordinate rescue and relief efforts alongside local authorities. “A terrible and tragic flash flood has taken place at Gyirong in Tibet - China, and one of our Kailash groups was caught in it. While on their way back, they were at the immigration office when the flood occurred and the building and much of the town seems to have been flooded,” he said.

He added, “All of us, including the volunteers and support teams are deeply anguished and are doing our utmost to assist in the rescue. There has been no official information on the whereabouts of any of the people who were at the immigration office. We are working with the authorities to see if we can get to the location and stand ready to be part of the rescue efforts, regardless of the risk involved.”

He stated that out of the 21 groups who are part of our Sojourn, 495 people have already returned safely. 743 people are currently in Tibet, 148 people are in Nepal, and 77 people were at the immigration center, and 3 volunteers in Timure, Nepal.

“To the families and loved ones of those in our group and hundreds of others who are affected in the region, I share your pain and we are sparing no effort during this profoundly difficult time. I am personally in the region to ensure the best can be done in the given circumstances,” he said.

The statement from Sadhguru comes as nearly 400 pilgrims, including over 100 Indians travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, have lost contact at the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint following early Wednesday morning flash floods that destroyed roads, damaged critical infrastructure, and swept through villages along the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet.

The Kathmandu Post reported that 384 pilgrims, including 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepali nationals, were scheduled to cross the border on Wednesday, adding that contact has not been established with the pilgrims except for a few.