Tamil Nadu, Bengal pilgrims among 133 Indians unaccounted for in Nepal floods
Isha Foundation head Sadguru said 77 people from the foundation were at the Chinese government’s immigration centre at Gyirong in Tibet when a mudslide struck.
A total of 133 Indians are currently unaccounted for in Nepal's recent flash floods, according to Nepal tourism officials. These missing individuals are believed to be pilgrims and tourists on their way to Mount Kailash, a sacred site for Hindus located in Tibet. Among the missing are a group of 77 individuals from the Isha Foundation, as well as 38 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and 32 from Kolkata, as reported by the foundation and tour operators.
Sunil Sharma, a spokesperson for the Nepal Tourism Board, confirmed that the missing also included Indian diaspora on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a pilgrimage undertaken by Hindus, often involves an alternative route through Kathmandu, which is less strenuous than the primary route through Dharchula in Uttarakhand. Bhasu Kumar Adhikari, the managing director of Kathmandu-based Touch Kailash Tour and Travels, stated that 390 pilgrims, including 93 Nepalis, were scheduled to cross the border on Wednesday morning. However, "except a few, we have not been able to contact the pilgrims," he said.
Apart from the Indian pilgrims, 403 people, including 341 foreign nationals, were reported missing in Nepal. These missing individuals hail from at least 26 countries, with 47 from the United States, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain, and 24 from Canada, as per Sunil Sharma. Among the foreigners, 21 groups were part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, with 495 returning, 743 in Tibet, and 148 in Nepal.
The Isha Foundation head, Sadguru, indicated that 77 people from the foundation were at the Chinese government's immigration centre at Gyirong in Tibet and three volunteers were in Timure, Nepal when a mudslide occurred. "We are trying to get information about them," he said, adding that the foundation is cooperating with Nepalese authorities to locate the missing individuals.
The Tamil Nadu government has initiated a round-the-clock helpline for the families of the missing pilgrims and assistance is being provided through the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi. In response to the disaster, the Kerala government has also opened a helpdesk through a state-run agency to assist Malayalis affected by the floods in Nepal.
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