A devastating flash flood struck the Tibet-Nepal border region, causing widespread destruction. Seventy-seven members of an Isha Foundation pilgrimage group remain unaccounted for following the disaster. Officials report 165 bodies recovered, with many more missing on the Nepalese side. Rescue efforts are underway to locate survivors and restore essential infrastructure. The flood was triggered by a glacier collapse near the Lhende Khola.
Spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadhguru, has voiced deep concern over a devastating flash flood that struck the Tibet-Nepal border region, saying 77 members of an Isha Foundation Kailash pilgrimage group are still unaccounted for following the disaster in Tibet's Gyirong area.
Sadhguru, who is currently in Tibet, said he attempted to travel to the disaster site but was turned back as all roads leading there were blocked.
"With a profound sense of pain and regret, I wish to bring to your notice that there has been a terrible flash flood between Tibet and Nepal border," he said, adding that around 484 people have gone missing on the Nepalese side, according to Indian news reports. He said no official information was available from the Tibetan side, as phone lines and telecommunications remained down and roads impassable.
Describing the affected group, Sadhguru said the pilgrims, referred to as the S3 group, included 22 participants from the United States, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia, 9 from the United Kingdom, and smaller contingents from Germany, France, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, and eight other countries, taking the total to 80. The group comprised 34 men and 46 women, along with three volunteers and a doctor who were staying at nearby hotels.
He said a building used for immigration formalities just a week earlier, along with part of the nearby town, had been washed away. "Looking at the scale of destruction, it looks bad," he said, adding that overall casualty figures could exceed 1,500, though this remains unconfirmed.
Sadhguru said his team was coordinating with the Chinese and Indian embassies in Nepal, and that the American embassy was also assisting efforts to secure permission for him and a rescue team to reach the site.
According to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 165 bodies have been recovered so far, with identification underway. Officials said 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 police personnel, and 13 Armed Police Force personnel are also reported missing. The Nepal Tourism Board's preliminary data puts the number of missing travelers at 579, including 466 foreigners and 113 Nepalis. So far, 123 people, including 94 Nepalis and 29 foreign nationals, have been rescued by air from Timure in Rasuwa district.
The flood was triggered by a glacier collapse near the Lhende Khola, around 20 km northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border point, officials said. The resulting debris flow entered the Bhote Koshi river before surging through Rasuwagadhi, Timure, and Syaphru Besi into the Trishuli river, triggering emergency conditions across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and Chitwan districts.
Nepal Army and private helicopters have been deployed for search and rescue operations, while temporary shelters, food, water, and medical aid have been set up at army barracks for displaced families. NDRRMA said priorities now include rescuing survivors, treating the injured, restoring blocked infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and communication lines, and relocating affected families to safety.
