Nepal floods: 80 from Isha Foundation missing; Vijay calls emergency meeting

At least 80 members of Isha Foundation’s S3 Kailash pilgrimage group, 34 men and 46 women, along with three volunteers and one doctor, remain missing after a flash flood struck the immigration office in Gyirong on the Tibet-Nepal border as they returned from the yatra.

The 80 include 22 from the United States, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia, 9 from the United Kingdom, 4 from Germany, 3 from France, 3 from Nepal, two each from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain, and one each from Finland, Hungary, Israel, Portugal, the Philippines and Russia. Coimbatore officials confirmed the 77 at the immigration office were foreign nationals, not pilgrims from Tamil Nadu.

Sadhguru seeks entry to Gyirong

Isha Foundation founder Jaggi Vasudev, known as Sadhguru, said on Thursday (August 27) he was writing “in absolute pain” after losing contact with 80 people from the group. He asked Chinese authorities to let him and a small team of volunteers enter Gyirong to help the search. He said they would not get in the way of rescue teams. Their only aim, he said, was to look for any sign that could help families waiting for news.

"We write to you in absolute pain of losing 80 people from our group in the floods in Gyirong. We have no further information after the floods. We, along with the families, beseech you to kindly allow us (myself and a few volunteers) to be at Gyirong," he stated in a post on X.

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The missing batch, called the S3 group, had finished the pilgrimage and was clearing papers to return to Kathmandu. Isha Foundation later put the number at 77 pilgrims plus volunteers and a doctor who had gone to help. The party included 34 men and 46 women. Among them were people from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Nepal and several other countries. Isha also said 53 people of Indian origin were in the group. Coimbatore officials said this particular batch at the immigration office was not Tamil Nadu pilgrims.

Sadhguru said Isha Foundation had sent 21 groups this year. Of them, 495 people have already come home safely. Another 743 are still in Tibet. One hundred and forty-eight are in Nepal. Three volunteers were in Timure, on the Nepal side. He said he is in the region and ready to go to the site if given permission. Family members of the missing have had no confirmed update since the flood.

Flood cuts off border route

The flood began on the Tibetan side and rushed down the Bhote Koshi river into Nepal’s Rasuwa district around 8.30 to 9.15 a.m. on Wednesday (August 26). Officials say a glacier collapse and debris flow sent a wall of water through Gyirong, Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syabrubesi. The friendship bridge on the border was washed away, roads broke, power and phone lines failed. Rescue helicopters have struggled to land because the river is still high.

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Nepal has reported more than 160 dead as hundreds remain missing. The Nepal Tourism Board first said 384 travellers were out of contact, including 291 foreigners and 93 Nepalis. Later counts put the number of missing travellers above 400.

Indians form the largest foreign group, with more than 130 still untraced, including many on the Kailash route. About 75 people were seriously injured. Rescue teams have brought some people out by road and others by helicopter. Teams are providing shelter, food, and drinking water where they can reach.

TN pilgrims remain untraced

The same flood hit Tamil Nadu families. Super Yathra of Kumbakonam took 57 pilgrims for the Kailash yatra. They left on August 23 and were moving in three vehicles towards Rasuwagadhi when the flood came. About 20 reached a police post at Timure and are said to be safe. The rest have not been fully traced. The agency owner said he cannot reach more than 30 of them. His son, who was guiding the group, last called on Tuesday (August 25) night.

Speaking to The Federal, Navu Kabirdoss, one of the organisers of Super Yathra, Kumbakonam, said, “We are a team of 60 tourists from Tamil Nadu. Only 21 of us are safe now. We are trying to relocate to another place. There is no mobile signal here. Officials are busy with rescue operations, and we are trying to get help from local organisers. One of the vehicles carrying others travelling with us got trapped in the flood. We just missed it and escaped.”

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A second Chennai firm, Mahadev Kailash Yatra of Chromepet, sent 49 pilgrims on August 17. The firm said that the group was at a Nepal immigration office when the flood struck and has had no official word since. Tour coordinators told the state monitoring cell that four Tamil Nadu batches totalling about 106 people had gone through different agencies in recent days. Two smaller groups were reported safe. The larger two remain the main worry.

The Kumbakonam party included people from Thanjavur, Cuddalore, Krishnagiri, Tiruchi, Mayiladuthurai, Chennai, Tiruvarur, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Tiruvannamalai. Families last spoke to some of them on Monday or Tuesday. After that, the phones went silent. One Puducherry family -Geetha, her daughter Vaishnavi and relative Ananda Sundari- was later told they were safe.

TN Assembly takes up crisis

The issue was raised in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday (August 27). Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin said reports spoke of more than 160 dead and hundreds missing, including over 40 people from different districts of Tamil Nadu. He asked how many Tamils were trapped, how many had been brought to safety, whether a special officer had been named, and how many calls had come to the government helpline. He also said a retired High Court judge was among those stuck and demanded a full reply.

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AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami said a glacier melt had caused the flood. He said 37 people from one tour were missing and must be brought home. He asked the government to speak to the External Affairs Ministry and send a team of officers to Nepal.

School Education Minister Rajmohan placed the government’s account on the floor. He said the numbers were still changing because first reports were incomplete. As per information collected from the Indian consulate and other sources, 103 people from Tamil Nadu had gone to Nepal for the Kailash yatra. He said Nepal’s army, police, armed police, government offices and private helicopter operators were all in the field.

Helpline opened as search continues

On the Kumbakonam group of 57, he said one batch of about 20 had reached the Timure police post. The government was in constant touch with the Indian Embassy and was pressing for faster work to bring the remaining pilgrims home. The Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Department has opened a 24-hour helpline. The minister said 937 calls had already been received and answered.

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Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay called an emergency meeting of senior officers. He directed officials at Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi to work with the External Affairs Ministry and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

Officials have asked families not to treat private messages as confirmed until the embassy or the state cell verifies them. Roads and bridges on the pilgrim route are broken. Contact with the missing remains hard because phone lines are down.

India has sent relief material to Nepal and kept more aircraft on standby. Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah has thanked New Delhi for the offer of help. Search work continues on both sides of the border.

Tamil Nadu 24-hour helpline (Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Department)

From India: 1800-309-3793

From abroad: +91 80-6900-6901 / +91 80-6900-9901

Missed call from abroad: +91 80-6900-9900

Tamil Nadu House, New Delhi control room: 92895 16712