Spiritual leader Sadhguru on Wednesday said 77 pilgrims from one of his Kailash pilgrimage groups were at an immigration centre in Tibet’s Gyirong when a massive flash flood swept through the town, leaving their whereabouts unknown. The group was returning from the Kailash pilgrimage and had stopped at the immigration office when the flood struck, inundating the building and large parts of the border town.
Sadhguru said there had been no official information on the condition or whereabouts of the pilgrims at the centre as rescue teams worked to assess the situation amid widespread flooding and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border.
The flash flood struck as parts of Nepal’s mountainous Rasuwa district, which borders Tibet, were also hit by severe flooding, with villages and infrastructure project sites reportedly washed away.
Authorities warned of possible heavy casualties and urged residents living along the Bhote Koshi river to move to higher ground. Rescue and relief teams, including police and the military, were deployed to the affected areas as authorities assessed the scale of the destruction.
In a post on X, Sadhguru said, “A terrible and tragic flash flood has taken place at Gyirong in Tibet - China, and one of our Kailash groups was caught in it.” He said the pilgrims were at the immigration office while returning from the pilgrimage when the flood occurred and that “the building and much of the town seems to have been flooded”.
“There has been no official information on the whereabouts of any of the people who were at the immigration office,” Sadhguru said, adding that volunteers and support teams were working with authorities to reach the affected location. He said his teams were prepared to participate in rescue efforts “regardless of the risk involved”.
Giving details of the pilgrims from the 21 groups participating in the Kailash pilgrimage, Sadhguru said 495 people had already returned safely. He said 743 people were currently in Tibet, 148 were in Nepal, 77 were at the immigration centre and three volunteers were in Timure, Nepal.
The disaster has caused widespread disruption along the Nepal-China border. China’s state news agency Xinhua reported that a mudslide occurred on the Nepalese side at around 10:30 am local time on Wednesday, causing casualties and leaving people missing at the Gyirong Port in Gyirong county, Shigatse city, Tibet.
Roads leading to the Gyirong Port land crossing on the Chinese side, along with communications and power supplies, were cut off following the disaster, Xinhua reported.
Search and rescue operations were underway, while Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “all-out” efforts to locate missing people and directed authorities to strengthen monitoring and early warning systems to prevent secondary disasters.
In Nepal, the mountainous areas of Syapru Besi and Timure in Rasuwa district were among the worst affected. Government officials urged residents along the Bhote Koshi river to remain vigilant amid the rising threat of further flooding.
“We have reports of villages and infrastructure project sites being washed away,” Rasuwa district administrator Narendra Pariyar told Reuters, adding that there were no immediate estimates of casualties or property losses.
“There could be heavy casualties or loss of property,” Pariyar said. “But I cannot say for sure now.”
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said rescue and relief teams, police and the military had been dispatched to the affected areas to assist with rescue and relief operations.
The Gyirong border crossing, a key route between Nepal and Tibet, was also hit by a mudslide just over a year ago, highlighting the region’s vulnerability to landslides and flash floods.
Sadhguru said he was personally in the region and that his volunteers and support teams were making every effort to assist those affected. “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,” he said.
