No Word on 77 Isha Foundation Pilgrims Missing After Flash Flood

There has been no information on the whereabouts of 77 pilgrims associated with the Isha Foundation for the past two days after a massive flash flood struck areas near the China-Nepal border, a coordinator of the group said on Friday.

The pilgrims, led by the Isha Foundation founded by spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, were returning to Nepal after undertaking a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage when the disaster struck. The group was reportedly at an immigration office in Gyirong, Tibet, when floodwaters inundated the building and large parts of the town.

Maa Gambhiri, a coordinator with the group, said rescue teams were operating on the ground but there had been no information about the missing pilgrims. She said 77 families were anxiously awaiting answers, describing the situation as an emotional ordeal for them.

The group includes pilgrims from 19 nationalities, with 22 from the United States, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia and nine from the United Kingdom. Others are from Germany, France, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.

The foundation has contacted embassies and government offices in India, China and Nepal to seek information and assistance. Gambhiri said efforts were continuing to obtain any possible updates about the pilgrims.

Sadhguru said in a message posted on Facebook on Wednesday that one of his Kailash pilgrimage groups had been caught in the flash flood while returning to Nepal. He also said three volunteers were stranded in Timure, Nepal.

The Isha Foundation conducts several Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage groups each season, with participants travelling from Kathmandu through Nepal into Tibet, including sections covered on foot.

According to Nepal Police, the wider flooding and related devastation has killed at least 579 people, while nearly 1,000 others remain missing, underscoring the scale of the ongoing humanitarian crisis.