Sadhguru Appeals to China for Access to Tibet’s Gyirong as 80 Kailash Pilgrims Remain Missing

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has appealed to Chinese authorities to allow him and a small team to enter flood-hit Gyirong in Tibet and assist in the search for around 80 missing Kailash pilgrims.

The appeal came after a devastating flash flood swept through the Gyirong region near the Nepal-Tibet border, leaving hundreds of people dead or missing across the wider Himalayan region.

According to Sadhguru, 77 pilgrims from one of his Kailash pilgrimage groups were at an immigration centre in Gyirong when floodwaters surged through the area. The group was returning from the Kailash pilgrimage when the disaster struck.

Advertisement

Expressing concern over the missing members of the group, Sadhguru said he had lost contact with around 80 people and that there had been no further information about them after the floods.

He requested Chinese authorities to allow him and a small group of volunteers to travel to Gyirong and support the ongoing search efforts.

Sadhguru said the team would respect the rescue operations and would not interfere with the work of authorities. He said their purpose was to assist in finding any signs of the missing pilgrims and provide some information to families waiting for news about their loved ones.

Sadhguru, who said he was in Saga at the time, described access to Gyirong as crucial for families who had received no information about the missing members of the pilgrimage group.

The disaster was triggered by a massive landslide and glacial avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, causing widespread flooding and destruction. The event sent huge volumes of ice, rock, mud and water into the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River.

The disaster has affected both Nepal and Tibet, with a large number of people reported dead or missing. In Nepal, officials reported significant casualties and hundreds of missing people, including Indian pilgrims.

In Tibet’s Gyirong region, hundreds of people were also reported missing, including foreign nationals. Rescue teams have been using helicopters to search for survivors and deliver emergency supplies to people stranded in the mountainous terrain.

The affected region is an important route connecting Lhasa and Kathmandu and is frequently used by travellers and pilgrims undertaking journeys in the Himalayan region.

As rescue operations continue, Sadhguru’s appeal seeks permission for his team to reach Gyirong and assist in efforts to trace the missing Kailash pilgrims.