Nepal flash floods | Hoping against hope survivors are there: Isha Foundation coordinator

Maa Gambhiri, coordinator of Isha Foundation's sacred walks, told The Indian Express that there were 21 groups for the Kailash Mansarovar yatra.

4 min readPuneUpdated: Aug 27, 2026 07:55 PM IST

India accounts for the largest number of missing foreign tourists in Nepal, with 320 Indians reported missing. (AP Photo)

In the aftermath of Nepal’s flash floods, Isha Foundation volunteers have rallied around rescue efforts. While some who had landed in Kathmandu for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra await instructions on whether to head back home, those who completed the “sacred walk” wait for a border exit route to open.

Maa Gambhiri, coordinator of Isha Foundation’s sacred walks, told The Indian Express that there were 21 groups for the Kailash Mansarovar yatra. “About 495 people have completed the Kailash Mansarovar yatra and gone home. We have 743 people in Tibet, at various different places, in different stages of the yatra,” Gambhiri told The Indian Express.

She added they were not aware of the whereabouts of 77 people who were at immigration when the flash flood hit Rasuwa district in Nepal near the Tibet border.

“We have 148 people currently in Kathmandu, waiting to start their yatra. We had three more people, our stationed volunteers on the Nepal side. We are not aware of their whereabouts either at the moment, because that entire village that was on the Nepal side got washed away. It’s a total of 80 people and right now Sadhguru is also in Tibet and he is leading the entire (rescue) operation,” she added said.

“One of our groups, the S3 group that we met at Saga, also met them (the missing 80 people) when we were trekking up, they were coming down. This includes 34 male and 46 female participants and a few other volunteers who were camped in nearby hotels, three volunteers and one doctor. But we have no official confirmation of any kind. Looking at the scale of destruction, it looks bad,” Sadhguru said.

“We have made an appeal to the Chinese embassy in India and in Nepal if they could allow Sadhguru and a few volunteers to go there, because it’s a big loss of life. We are hoping against hope that there would be survivors,” Gambhiri said.

“It has been more than 24 hours. There is a lot of unrest, there are families that are getting very restless to have some information on their loved ones,” she added.

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Mohit Sardhana, an Isha foundation volunteer, told The Indian Express he was in touch with his wife who had safely landed in Kathmandu as part of the sacred walk groups. “My wife is stationed there as other members are also reaching Kathmandu and we are waiting for instructions whether to continue or head back home,” Sardhana told The Indian Express.

According to Gambhiri, there were people in Tibet who had completed the yatra. “We are just waiting to understand which border exit is likely to open, so that our groups can return,” she said.

At Richa Tours in Nepal, authorities confirmed that they had lost contact with a group of 61 Indians, 7 NRIs and 18 Nepalese persons.

According to Sangay Gurung, director at Richa Tours, a group including 61 Indians were at Tibet Customs with around 500 Yatris. Among them was Mumbai surgeon Dr Milind Chitley.

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“It is with great pain that we are informing that approximately 600 yatris have been washed away – the customs & immigration building have been completely washed away. Currently all yatris have been reported missing. We have provided a list of the Yatris to the Indian Embassy, the US Consulate and The New Zealand Consulate as well. Rescue operation is underway by The Nepalese Army, Mountaineering Guides and The Nepalese Police,” said Gurung.

‘Prioritise health, hydration’

Umesh Zirpe, a veteran mountaineer and president of Akhil Maharashtra Giryarohan Mahasangh who has been coordinating with sherpas and some of the mountaineering foundations that have taken groups on the Kailash Mansarovar yatra, also sent out an appeal to travellers to remain calm and stay sheltered.

“There is a need to strictly prioritise your health and hydration at high altitudes. With routes like the Kodari border likely to open for evacuation, there is a need for travellers to assist in the efforts and avoid crossing hazardous zones on their own,” Zirpe appealed.

A rescue team from Timure, a border village in Rasuwa District, reported that there was a big flash flood that had struck the customs and immigration building on the Tibet side.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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