NEARLY 1,500 people, including hundreds of foreign nationals, remain missing after devastating flash floods swept through parts of Nepal and Tibet, leaving communities cut off and destroying roads, homes and infrastructure.
Authorities in Nepal said on Thursday that 826 people remained unaccounted for, including almost 500 foreigners, while Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that 558 people were missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county. China has reported three deaths, while Nepal’s death toll was expected to rise beyond 165 as rescue operations resumed.
The disaster occurred on Wednesday after a large volume of mud and rock entered a Himalayan river, triggering catastrophic flooding downstream along a route connecting Kathmandu with Lhasa.
In Nepal, rescuers have been using helicopters to search for survivors and deliver emergency supplies to thousands of people stranded in towns and valleys.
Among those missing in Nepal are tourists from more than two dozen countries. Police and tourism officials said 177 Indians, 63 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons and 25 Canadians were among those unaccounted for.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry also said 55 Malaysian nationals were uncontactable, although there was no official confirmation that they were among the casualties.
In Tibet, verified footage showed large volumes of water and debris sweeping through a border crossing in Gyirong, while homes, roads and power infrastructure were also damaged.
Nepali police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said the death toll was likely to increase as search operations continued.
“This will go up, as we have resumed the search and more bodies are expected to be recovered,” Kafle told Reuters.
Survivors described being caught off guard by the rapidly rising floodwaters.
Keshav Prasad Baral, 68, who was rescued by helicopter after being trapped by the flooding, said he tried to save his wife as mud entered their home.
“But she was swept away by the mud,” he said.
“My wife is still somewhere beneath the mud. She’s gone.”
Another survivor said he escaped by clinging to a mango tree while watching the building where he had been working disappear in the flood.
Spiritual leader Jaggi Vasudev, popularly known as Sadhguru, said 80 members of an Isha Foundation Kailash pilgrimage group remain unaccounted for following the disaster in the Gyirong area.
Sadhguru, who is currently in Tibet, said he attempted to travel to the affected area but was unable to reach it because roads were blocked and communications had been disrupted.
The missing group comprises 34 men and 46 women from several countries, including 22 people from the United States, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia, nine from the United Kingdom, four from Germany and three each from France and Nepal.
The group also includes participants from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.
Sadhguru said the group had been returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and had reached the immigration facility shortly before the disaster.
According to him, the group leader, Ishanga Praveen, sent a message at about 09:05 saying they had arrived at immigration. The flooding reportedly occurred shortly afterwards.
Sadhguru said the group’s Nepal-based phone numbers did not become active as expected, raising concerns that they had not crossed into Nepal.
“All communication is down so we have no way,” he said.
He added that the Isha Foundation had contacted the embassies of the countries represented in the group and was seeking assistance from Indian, Chinese and US authorities to gain access to the affected area.
Sadhguru said the scale of destruction was extensive, with part of the town near the border reportedly washed away.
“We still don’t know the other numbers,” he said, adding that many Nepali guides and their families were also affected.
Rescue teams continue to search for missing people while authorities work to restore communications and assess the full extent of the damage.
Sources: Reuters/Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Foundation
