At least 37 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu remained unaccounted for Wednesday night after a flash flood tore through the Nepal-Tibet border corridor used by Kailash Manasarovar travellers, severing communications and producing contradictory accounts of who was safe.
The flood surged from the Tibetan side into the Bhotekoshi River around 9 am, hitting Nepal’s Rasuwa region. At least 46 people died, and nearly 500 were reported missing. Those reported missing included 105 Indian tourists and 37 non-resident Indians; at least 59 Indians were Kailash pilgrims.
By late Wednesday, the status of the Tamil Nadu groups remained unclear, with government sources putting the number of those unaccounted for at between 37 and nearly 50.
Tour coordinator Thennarasu told the state government monitoring cell that four groups totalling 106 people from Tamil Nadu had travelled through four agencies. Fifty-seven left through a Kumbakonam operator on August 23 and 49 from Chennai. Two groups were safe, he said, while the other two could not be reached. The tour operator was seeking help from state agencies to establish contact with the groups late Wednesday evening.
The Kumbakonam contingent comprised 36 women and 21 men from Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Hosur, Soolagiri and Namakkal, among other places. According to the office of Thanjavur Collector R Revathi, 20 people, including 11 women, had been accounted for. “We do not know what is happening with the rest for now. We are awaiting more information,” she said.
One group of 17 sent an audio message saying it was safe, government sources confirmed. The pilgrims were in three buses, and their agency relayed an unverified report that one had plunged into a gorge.
The 57-person group was travelling from Kathmandu through Syabrubesi toward the Rasuwagadhi-Gyirong border crossing. The state’s Commissionerate of Rehabilitation and Welfare of Non-Resident Tamils opened 24-hour helplines. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu listed +977 985 131 6807 and +977 970 910 7500 for assistance.
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Isha Foundation members caught in floods
Isha said one of its Kailash groups had been caught in the flooding at Gyirong while returning through immigration, where the building and much of the town appeared to have flooded. “There has been no official information on the whereabouts of any of the people who were at the immigration office. We are working with the authorities to see if we can get to the location and stand ready to be part of the rescue efforts, regardless of the risk involved.”
Of Isha’s 21 groups, 495 people had returned safely, 743 were in Tibet, 148 in Nepal, 77 had been at the immigration centre, and three volunteers were in Timure, Nepal. The statement did not identify how many of the 77 were from Tamil Nadu.
“To the families and loved ones of those in our group and hundreds of others who are affected in the region, I share your pain, and we are sparing no effort during this profoundly difficult time. I am personally in the region to ensure the best can be done in the given circumstances,” it said.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office said they have directed the senior officials of the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi to take all necessary actions to swiftly rescue those from Tamil Nadu who have gone missing in this disaster and to provide the required assistance to those affected.
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“In the situation where Tamils stranded in Nepal require help, emergency telephone numbers have been announced to facilitate contact from them or their relatives in Tamil Nadu… Furthermore, through the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Nepal, information regarding individuals from Tamil Nadu is being obtained, and necessary actions are being swiftly taken to ensure their safety.”
However, a top executive from the foundation later said none of the 77 was Indian.
Isha Foundation sends people to the Kailash-Mansarover pilgrimage every year, the executive said.
“To enrol for the trip, participants have to go through the Isha meditation programme. This batch that had gone missing is from our overseas batch of pilgrims who participate in sacred walks,” the executive said.
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Another employee said the group was at the immigration centre because it was meant to travel back. “They were supposed to travel to Kathmandu from there. They would have returned to their respective homes,” the Isha Foundation official said.
Another employee expressed shock at what had transpired. “We have never faced such a dire situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have gone missing and their families,” the foundation member said.