Nepal flood: Death toll 359, Sadguru says his 80 followers missing, India ups relief work; China side rescue operations in full swing

New Delhi:The death toll from the flash floods that swept through Nepal after a surge from the Tibet border region rose to 359 by Thursday evening, as search and rescue operations continued across eight affected districts. Hundreds of people remained unaccounted for as damaged roads, communications and power networks complicated efforts to reach communities along the Bhote Koshi and downstream river systems.

Nepal Police said the 359 bodies recovered by 5pm included 132 in Chitwan, 82 in Nawalparasi East, 33 in Dhading, 30 in Gorkha, 28 in Nuwakot, 22 in Tanahun, 17 in Rasuwa and 15 in Nawalparasi West. Police personnel continued search operations with other government agencies and local communities, while families in areas considered at risk of further flooding were being moved to safer ground.

The number of people still out of contact remained fluid. The latest Nepal police update on tourists listed 644 Nepali and foreign travellers as missing, including 178 Indian nationals. An earlier count from Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Centre under the home ministry had put 826 people across all categories out of contact, including security personnel, residents and tourists. The figures were compiled at different stages and covered different categories.

The Nepali Army, Nepal Police and other security agencies have continued rescue work through the affected river corridors, with helicopters deployed to reach areas where road access has been lost. Authorities have also been clearing blocked routes and monitoring the risk of further flooding from unstable river blockages upstream.

Sadhguru says his foundation’s 80 members missing

Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev said an 80-member group linked to the foundation remained unaccounted for after the flood struck Gyirong on the Tibet side of the Nepal-China border.

Sadhguru said the group was returning from the Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage and had reached the immigration facility at Gyirong shortly before the flood swept through the area. According to his account, the group leader sent a message at around 9.05am saying they had arrived at immigration, while the flood struck minutes later.

He said the group comprised 34 men and 46 women from several countries, of which 22 are from United States, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia, 9 from United Kingdom, 4 from Germany, 3 from France, 3 from Nepal, 2 from Netherlands, 2 from New Zealand, 2 from Singapore, 2 from Spain, 1 each from Finland, Hungry, Israel, Lithuania, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, and South Africa, The travellers were part of one of several Isha Foundation groups undertaking the Kailash pilgrimage.

Sadhguru said the foundation had not received confirmed information about their whereabouts and was seeking permission for him and a small team to reach Gyirong to assist efforts to locate them.

Sadhguru has referred to an 80-member group, while Reuters separately reported that the Isha Foundation had earlier listed 77 pilgrims as missing after losing contact during border-clearance procedures. The difference between the two figures had not been officially reconciled by Thursday evening.

The group reportedly included nationals of 19 countries. There was no official confirmation from Chinese authorities on the status of the Isha group, and the members should not be treated as confirmed casualties.

The case is one of several involving Kailash Manasarovar pilgrims caught on either side of the border after floodwaters and mudslides damaged roads and communications around Gyirong and Rasuwagadhi.

China intensifies rescue operations on Tibet side

Chinese authorities have separately confirmed three deaths and 558 people missing after the mudslide and flood struck Gyirong Port in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Of those missing, 260 were identified as foreign nationals, according to Chinese officials. Two local villagers had been rescued as of Thursday morning.

The Chinese figures are separate from Nepal’s death toll of 359 and should not be combined with Nepal’s missing-person data.

China activated a Level II emergency response for both geological disasters and disaster relief, the second-highest level in its four-tier system. The central government sent tents, clothing, quilts, folding beds, stoves and other emergency items to support evacuation and temporary accommodation.

China Daily reported that 30,000 central relief items had been allocated to the disaster zone. The Chinese government also approved 220 million yuan, about $33 million, for emergency rescue and relief work.

Hundreds of rescue personnel have been mobilized. China’s emergency management ministry said an initial team of 141 rescuers reached the Gyirong border area on Thursday morning. Central authorities had also mobilized fire and rescue personnel and engineering teams, while local responders were deployed with rescue dogs, life detectors, assault boats and other equipment.

Roads, power supplies and communications around the border port were damaged or cut off, complicating the search. Chinese authorities were also monitoring unstable water bodies and the threat of secondary floods or landslides as rain continued in parts of the region.

The Chinese premier, Li Qiang, arrived in Gyirong township on Thursday afternoon after being tasked with leading senior officials to the disaster-hit area. China Daily, citing Xinhua, said Li would supervise rescue and relief operations and meet personnel and people affected by the disaster.

Earlier, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, had ordered all-out rescue efforts, while Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing led another team to the affected area. Li also directed Chinese agencies to verify the count of those missing and coordinate with other countries over rescue and relief operations.

India steps up relief effort

India has meanwhile expanded its humanitarian assistance to Nepal, sending 47.5 tonnes of relief material in two consignments. The first tranche comprised 10 tonnes of HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) material and essential medicines, while a second flight carried another 37.5 tonnes of relief supplies, medicines and food packets.

The external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, said India remained in close and continuous contact with Nepali authorities and would continue supporting ongoing relief efforts. Earlier, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, had spoken to his Nepali counterpart, Balendra Shah, conveyed condolences over the loss of lives and offered all possible humanitarian assistance.

India’s effort is also focused on its nationals affected by the disaster. In the latest MEA-linked update on Thursday evening, 54 Indian nationals had been rescued while 285 remained uncontactable in Nepal. The rescued included 33 workers from the Trishuli-1 hydropower project and 21 people from Tamil Nadu who had travelled for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.

The External Affairs Ministry has set up a 24/7 control room to monitor the situation and coordinate with Nepali authorities and families seeking information. The Indian embassy in Kathmandu has also remained engaged in efforts to establish contact with Indian travellers and workers in affected areas.

A separate group of around 200 Indians on the Chinese side had earlier sought evacuation assistance. That group is distinct from the Indians uncontactable in Nepal, and the Indian embassy in Beijing has been coordinating with Chinese authorities over their movement and evacuation.

RNA Media had earlier reported on a preliminary Nepal Tourism Board list of 384 travellers reported missing or out of contact soon after the floods struck. Subsequent official counts have changed substantially as authorities receive information from tour operators, local agencies, rescue teams and foreign governments.

Preliminary assessments by scientists and satellite imagery suggested that a large ice-rock or glacial collapse entered the high Himalayan river system near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending a surge of water and debris downstream through Rasuwa and into the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani systems. Roads, bridges, homes, hydropower infrastructure and border facilities were swept away or buried under debris.

Search operations were continuing on both sides of the border on Thursday night. In Nepal, police and the Nepali Army remained deployed across affected districts as authorities verified casualty and missing-person lists. In Tibet, Chinese rescue teams continued searching Gyirong and surrounding areas under a Level II emergency response.

India, meanwhile, continued relief deliveries and efforts to establish contact with its nationals in Nepal, while the Indian embassy in Beijing worked separately on assistance for those caught on the Chinese side.