Sadhguru Seeks Nod to Reach Nepal Flood Site, 77 from Group Missing

Sadhguru, who is currently in Tibet, said he was unable to travel to the disaster-hit location as roads were blocked and telecommunications had been disrupted.

"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.

He said that according to Indian news reports, around 484 people had gone missing on the Nepalese side, while there was no official information available from the Tibetan side.

"All phones are off, all telecommunications are down, roads are blocked, we are unable to go there," Sadhguru said.

He said one of the Isha Foundation groups, identified as the S3 group, had 80 people, including pilgrims and volunteers. The group included nationals from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.

According to Sadhguru, the group comprised 34 male and 46 female participants, along with volunteers and a doctor who were staying at nearby hotels.

Describing the scale of destruction, he said a building where the group had completed immigration formalities just a week earlier had been washed away, while a large part of the town was also destroyed.

Sadhguru said his team was coordinating with the Chinese and Indian embassies in Nepal to send a group to assist in rescue efforts.

"This is a terrible and an extraordinary event," he said, adding that the overall number of people affected could be around 1,500 or more.

He said many Nepalese guides accompanying the pilgrimage group had families in the affected areas, but their status remained unknown.

Sadhguru said he was seeking permission through the Indian and Chinese embassies, while the US embassy was also working on the matter, to travel to the affected area with a group and assess how they could assist.

According to Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 165 bodies have been recovered from flood-affected areas so far, with identification underway.

The NDRRMA said 44 Nepal Army personnel, 28 Nepal Police personnel and 13 Armed Police Force personnel working in affected areas and various police posts were reported missing.

According to preliminary data from the Nepal Tourism Board, 579 travellers, including 466 foreigners and 113 Nepalese, were reported missing from the affected area.

A total of 123 people were rescued by air from Timure in Rasuwa, including 94 Nepalese and 29 foreign nationals.

On Wednesday, a massive debris-laden flood occurred in the Lhende Khola following a glacier collapse approximately 20 kilometres northeast 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.

The disaster has created a critical emergency situation along the Trishuli River and surrounding areas in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan districts, with preliminary assessments indicating heavy loss of life and property.

Following the disaster, Nepal Army and private-sector helicopters have been mobilised to intensify 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.

The NDRRMA said its immediate priorities include rescuing and treating injured people, searching for missing citizens, ensuring security and relief distribution, and collecting detailed damage reports.

Authorities are also prioritising the reconstruction of blocked infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hydropower facilities, communication networks and water supply systems, as well as the safe relocation of displaced families.