Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev broke down while addressing followers after around 80 Isha Foundation members went missing in devastating flash floods near the Nepal-Tibet border. The group was reportedly at Gyirong’s immigration centre when floodwaters swept the building away. Sadhguru has appealed for permission to join rescue efforts.
Sadness and gloom descended on the Isha Foundation camp in Tibet after spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev broke down while speaking about members of an Isha Foundation Kailash pilgrimage group who remain missing after the devastating flash floods near the Nepal-Tibet border.
Sadhguru, who is currently in Saga, made an emotional appeal for permission to travel to Gyirong in Tibet and join search and rescue efforts. He said the group had been at an immigration facility when the flood struck, washing away the building within seconds.
Isha group was at immigration centre when flood struck
Sadhguru said the group had been returning from the Kailash pilgrimage and had reached the immigration centre at Gyirong shortly before disaster struck.
According to his account, the group leader, Ishanga Praveen, had sent a message at around 9.05 am confirming that the group had reached the centre. Minutes later, at around 9.14 am, a massive surge of water and debris swept through the area.
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An Isha Foundation group of 77 pilgrims, along with three volunteers, was initially reported missing. Later reports continued to describe around 80 members of the group as unaccounted for, although the exact number has varied in different updates.
Sadhguru makes emotional appeal
Visibly shaken, Sadhguru said he had been at the same immigration centre just a week earlier.
He said there had been no official confirmation about the fate of the missing group and that communication from the disaster-hit area had been severely disrupted.
The spiritual leader said he had tried to reach Gyirong but roads and other access routes had been cut off by the disaster. He appealed to the Indian and Chinese authorities for permission to enter the affected area with a small team and assist in the search effort.
Death toll rises as hundreds remain missing
The wider Nepal-Tibet disaster has left at least 289 people dead, according to the latest reports available on Thursday, though casualty figures remain fluid as rescue teams continue recovering bodies. More than 1,300 people were reported missing across Nepal and Tibet in the latest updates.
The toll is expected to change as rescue operations continue.
Flood triggered by Himalayan collapse
Authorities and scientists are investigating the disaster, which is believed to have been triggered by a major collapse of ice, mud and rock in the Himalayas, sending a destructive torrent through valleys and settlements near the Nepal-China border.
Homes, roads, bridges and border infrastructure were swept away, while communications were disrupted across several affected areas. Hundreds of foreign tourists and pilgrims, including Indians travelling on the Kailash route, remain among those unaccounted for.
Viral videos showing the moment the immigration facility was engulfed by floodwaters have added to the horror surrounding the disaster. As search operations continue, the fate of the missing Isha Foundation pilgrims remains unknown.
Rescue operations stepped up
All Nepal government agencies, including the Army, Police and Armed Police Force, are working together to rescue people stranded after devastating flash floods along the Tibet-Nepal border, Nepal Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of Nepal in Kolkata, Deepesh Lekhak, said on Thursday.
Speaking to ANI, Lekhak said rescue operations have been given top priority, with helicopters being used to evacuate people from badly affected areas.
“Helicopter-based rescue efforts are currently underway. So far, 239 people have been rescued by helicopter, and the operation is ongoing,” he said.
644 travellers reported missing
Lekhak said the Nepal Tourism Board is collecting information about tourists reported missing after the floods. Information from Chinese immigration points along the Tibet border is also being checked, as several tourists, including people from West Bengal and Kolkata, were in the region.
According to a preliminary record received by the Nepal Tourism Board from trekking and travel companies, 644 travellers, including 127 Nepali nationals, have been reported missing from the affected areas. Their details are being verified with travel agencies, guides, local authorities and security agencies.
People from several other countries are also among those reported missing. The preliminary figures include 53 Ukrainian nationals, 35 Australians and 25 Canadians.
Nepal Embassy sources said that over 280 bodies have so far been recovered, while many locals and tourists remain missing. Another assessment put the number of people reported missing at 476 from 28 countries. Officials stressed that the figures are still being verified as search and rescue operations continue.
Jaishankar reviews India's response
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a review meeting on Thursday with senior Ministry of External Affairs officials, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and India's ambassadors in Kathmandu and Beijing.
Jaishankar said urgent efforts were being made to establish the whereabouts and safety of Indians in the flood-hit areas.
The MEA is coordinating with various ministries, state governments, tour operators and project authorities. It is also working closely with Nepal on both the welfare of Indians and wider relief operations.
India keeps border areas under watch
India is also monitoring the situation along its border following the floods in Nepal.
NDRF Inspector General Narendra Singh Bundela said no adverse flood impact had so far been reported in Indian border areas. However, agencies are closely monitoring water discharge levels in sensitive districts, including Kushinagar and West Champaran.
Bundela said state governments and the Central Water Commission are maintaining a continuous watch, while field-level preparedness and sensitisation have already been completed.
Roads and bridges damaged
The floods have caused extensive damage to roads and bridges in the affected region, making several areas difficult to reach. Nepal's security forces are using helicopters and ground teams to intensify rescue and relief work.
Medical aid, temporary shelters, food, drinking water and medicines are being provided to people affected by the disaster.
The Embassy of India in Nepal has also issued helpline numbers for people seeking assistance: +977 985 131 6807, +977 970 910 7500 and +977 981 032 6117. The numbers are also available on WhatsApp.
(With ANI inputs)
