Key Highlights

  • Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev confirmed an 80-member Isha Foundation group is missing after flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border.
  • The group includes citizens of 21 countries — 22 from the US, 12 Canada, 11 Australia, nine UK, four Germany, three each from France and Nepal, and more.
  • Indian news reports suggest around 484 people are missing on the Nepali side; Sadhguru estimates total impact could exceed 1,500.
  • The disaster struck at 9.14 a.m. Wednesday — just nine minutes after group leader Ishanga Praveen sent a message from the immigration point.
  • Sadhguru is currently in Saga, Tibet, and has sought permission through Indian, Chinese and American embassies to travel to Gyirong.

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, founder of the Isha Foundation, has confirmed with visible anguish that an 80-member group associated with the organisation is caught in the devastating flash floods that struck along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday. Speaking from Saga in Tibet, Sadhguru described a scene of near-total communication blackout, washed-out towns and mounting fears for lives — a disaster he called "terrible and extraordinary."

'Almost Half the Town Is Washed Away'

"With a profound sense of pain and regret, I wish to bring to your notice that there has been a terrible flash flood between the Tibet and Nepal border, and on the Nepali side, as per the Indian news reports, about 484 people have gone missing, and on this side, we don't have any official information," Sadhguru said. He revealed that he had personally attempted to reach the site earlier in the day, but was blocked by downed telecommunications and destroyed roads.

Describing the scale of destruction, he added, "The same building where we were for the immigration just a week ago, that entire building is washed away, and part of the town is washed away." He estimated that the overall number of people affected could be significantly higher than the official Nepali figure, potentially crossing 1,500, including local Nepali guides and their families.

A Group Drawn From 21 Countries

The missing 80-member group is strikingly international in composition — a snapshot of just how global Isha Foundation's participant base has become. It includes 22 people from the United States, 12 from Canada, 11 from Australia, nine from the United Kingdom, four from Germany, three from France, three from Nepal, two from the Netherlands, two from New Zealand, two from Singapore and two from Spain. There is also one participant each from Finland, Hungary, Israel, Lithuania, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia and South Africa.

The group comprises 34 male and 46 female participants. Accompanying them were a few additional volunteers staying at nearby hotels, along with three volunteers and one doctor travelling with the main party.

A Nine-Minute Window Between Message and Disaster

The most haunting detail Sadhguru shared was the timeline. At 9.05 a.m. on Wednesday, he received a message from the group leader, Ishanga Praveen — a full-time Isha volunteer for over two decades — confirming that the team had arrived at the immigration checkpoint. Just nine minutes later, at 9.14 a.m., the disaster struck.

"Praveen, who was leading the team… we noticed that his Nepal phone did not come active. If he had crossed over, his Nepal phone should have come active; it did not come," Sadhguru said. Based on the last known communication, he believes the entire group was inside the immigration building at the moment the flood hit. "Literally the entire group was there in the building. So this is a terrible and an extraordinary event which unfortunately has turned out this way."

Diplomatic Push for Access to Gyirong

With no official confirmations coming through and rescue operations under way in extremely difficult terrain, Sadhguru said he is actively seeking permission to travel to Gyirong in the Tibet Autonomous Region, where the affected zone lies. He confirmed that the embassies of all the countries whose citizens are part of the group have been informed, both in India and Nepal.

"We are seeking permission through the Indian embassy and the Chinese embassy in India, and the American embassy is working on this to see if they can permit a group of people and me to be there and see what we can do," he said.

In an emotional appeal, Sadhguru added: "We, along with the families, beseech you to kindly allow us — myself and a few volunteers — to be at Gyirong. 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 confirmed he is currently in Saga and awaiting facilitation to move ahead.

Why It Matters

The scale of this event is enormous — not just because of the human toll, but because of the international footprint of those affected. A single spiritual expedition has now become a multi-country diplomatic incident, involving governments across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and beyond. It also brings sharp focus back to the fragility of high-Himalayan travel routes, where climate-linked events, glacial instability and sudden debris flows are turning long-standing pilgrimage and adventure corridors into high-risk zones.

The Bigger Picture

Wednesday's flash flood is now shaping up as one of the most consequential trans-boundary disasters of the year, with impact stretching from the immigration towns of Rasuwa on the Nepali side to communities in Tibet — and now, through the Isha group, into 21 countries. For families waiting for information, every hour without communication deepens the anguish. For governments and rescue teams, the challenge is racing against terrain, weather and time. And for Sadhguru, whose own volunteers are among the missing, the priority is clear: be on the ground, stand with the families, and search for any sign of hope.