Nepal floods: Sadhguru seeks permission to reach deluge-hit Gyirong, says 'lost 80 people from our group'

Amid the catastrophic flash floods in the Nepal - Tibet border region, spiritual leader and Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has appealed to authorities to allow him and a small team of volunteers to travel to Gyirong in Tibet, where 80 people from his group remain unaccounted for.

In a statement dated August 27, Sadhguru said the group was caught in the floods at Gyirong while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. He said there had been no further information about the missing members since the disaster and appealed to authorities to allow him and a few volunteers to reach the affected area.

Sadhguru's Appeal to the Authorities & Administration. pic.twitter.com/wKu89gtdnU

— Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) August 27, 2026

"We write to you in absolute pain of losing 80 people from our group in the floods in Gyirong. We have no further information after the floods," Sadhguru said in the statement.

He said he and the families of those missing were seeking permission to travel to Gyirong from Saga, where they were currently located, to assist with efforts to look for signs that could help locate the missing people.

"We deeply respect and understand the nature of the rescue efforts and will in no way hamper them. Our only intent is to stand with them and aid in looking for some signs that would help the families," he said.

The Isha Foundation had earlier said 77 members of a Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage group were unaccounted for after a flash flood struck the Gyirong area on Wednesday. The group was at an immigration centre when the flood hit, with communication links subsequently disrupted in the region.

Nepal flash floods: At least 157 killed; hundreds more, including Indians, missing

The floods have caused widespread devastation on both sides of the Nepal-Tibet border. According to a Nepal foreign minister Shishir Khanal , over 300 Indians are missing. "Foreign nationals, including Indians, take the route in the affected area to the Masarovar Yatra. Close to 300 Indians have been reported missing and the government is trying to establish contact with them," Khanal said.

In Nepal, the disaster swept through the Rasuwa district, damaging roads, bridges, homes and other infrastructure. Authorities have been carrying out search and rescue operations amid difficult terrain and continuing risks in the affected region.

The disaster has also left hundreds of tourists and foreign nationals unaccounted for. According to Nepal's disaster authorities, nearly 823 people remained out of contact on Thursday, including 579 tourists, while the combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet had risen to at least 165.

Indian nationals form a significant portion of those missing, with many believed to have been travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

Sadhguru said his team was working with the authorities and that his appeal was not intended to interfere with ongoing rescue operations.

"Your facilitation would be invaluable for us and all the families who have no whereabouts of their dear ones," he said.