Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has expressed concern over the devastating flash floods near the Tibet-Nepal border.
He said 77 members of an Isha Foundation Kailash pilgrimage group remain unaccounted for after the disaster hit the Gyirong area of Tibet.
Sadhguru, who is currently in Tibet, said he tried to travel to the affected area but could not reach it because roads were blocked and communication services were down.
Sadhguru says 77 pilgrims remain unaccounted for
Sadhguru said one of the groups he had met during the pilgrimage had 80 members, including 22 from the US, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia, nine from the UK, four from Germany, three each from France and Nepal, two each from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and Spain, and one each from Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.
The group included 34 men and 46 women, along with volunteers and a doctor staying at nearby hotels.
He said the scale of destruction was severe, adding that a building where the group had completed immigration formalities just a week earlier had been completely washed away. Parts of the town had also been destroyed.
Sadhguru said there was no official information from the affected area because all communication systems were down.
Sadhguru says rescue efforts being planned
Sadhguru said his team was working with the Indian and Chinese embassies to send a group to the affected areas and assist with rescue operations.
He said the overall number of people affected could be more than 1,500, but there was still no confirmed figure.
He also said many Nepali guides who travelled with the group had families living in the affected area.
Sadhguru said efforts were being made through the Indian, Chinese and US embassies to obtain permission to travel to the area and assess the situation.
165 bodies recovered so far
According to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 165 bodies have been recovered from the flood-hit areas so far. Identification of the victims is still underway.
As many as 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel and 13 Armed Police Force personnel working in the affected areas and various police posts have been reported missing.
Preliminary data from the Nepal Tourism Board shows that 579 people, 466 foreign nationals and 113 Nepali citizens are missing from the affected area.
So far, 123 people have been rescued by air from Timure in Rasuwa, including 94 Nepalis and 29 foreign nationals.
Glacier collapse triggered massive flood
On Wednesday, a massive debris-filled flood hit the Lhende Khola after a glacier collapsed around 20 km north-east of the Rasuwagadhi border point on the Nepal-China border.
The flood entered the Bhote Koshi River from the Tibet side and flowed through Rasuwagadhi, Timure and Syaphru Besi before reaching the Trishuli River.
This has created a serious emergency in areas along the Trishuli River in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan districts. Initial assessments indicate heavy loss of life and damage to property along the riverbanks.
Helicopters deployed for rescue operations
Following the disaster, the Nepal Army and private helicopter operators have been deployed to step up search and rescue operations in Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
Temporary shelters, food, clean water and medicines have been arranged for flood victims at nearby Nepal Army barracks.
According to the NDRRMA, the immediate priorities are rescuing and treating the injured, finding missing people, maintaining security, distributing relief and assessing the damage.
Authorities are also focusing on restoring damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hydropower projects, communication networks and water supplies, while safely relocating displaced families.
