77 pilgrims, 3 volunteers of Isha Foundation remain unaccounted for

Two weeks after flash floods struck the Nepal-Tibet border, 77 participants of a Kailash Manasarovar pilgrimage and three volunteers remain unaccounted for, the Isha Foundation said in a statement, adding that the figure has not changed since its previous update.The foundation said identification work at the disaster site was still under way and authorities had indicated that the process could take considerable time.According to the statement, Isha Foundation has remained in contact with Chinese, Indian and Nepali authorities, as well as embassies representing 19 countries in India, Nepal and China, to seek information about those affected and relay verified updates to families.The death toll from flash floods in Nepal rose to 1,386 on Saturday as rescuers recovered more bodies from eight affected districts, authorities said.The floods, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, devastated towns and villages across northern and central Nepal.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 5,130 people remain missing, while 13,728 have been rescued so far. Only 104 bodies have been identified and handed over to families. Meanwhile, 339 people are receiving treatment in 19 hospitals and 3,761 displaced people are staying in 37 holding centres.The foundation said identification details, photographs and other relevant material had been shared with authorities and search-and-rescue teams where required. It also said its volunteers had been in touch with the US state department and Global Affairs Canada, whose assistance in seeking information from Chinese authorities had been useful.“Any new information that can appropriately be shared will be communicated to the affected families first and made public where it is legal, ethical, and appropriate to do so”, Isha foundation said.Access to the affected site at Gyirong Port on the Chinese side of the Nepal-Tibet border remains restricted by Chinese authorities for rescue and forensic work, while access on the Nepal side is also restricted by Nepali authorities, the foundation said.“No private individuals or organisations have been allowed near the site,” it said, adding that Isha volunteers who had been stationed in Gyirong Town were asked by Chinese authorities to leave along with other non-official personnel.In Nepal, around 25 Nepali volunteers are supporting efforts on the ground, according to the statement. The team has been coordinating with hospitals, mortuaries, police and government offices and has shared information on missing individuals with the Nepal Police and Nepal Tourist Police.The foundation said contact had also been established with the Nepali Army and that details of those missing had been passed to personnel involved in search-and-rescue efforts.Following the floods, volunteers visited hospitals and mortuaries to gather information and understand identification procedures, the statement said. The team also visited a DNA centre to understand the requirements for identification, with the process being coordinated through the respective countries’ consular services.

Isha said information received from embassies and authorities was being passed to the affected families, particularly emergency contacts, along with details of the next steps.The foundation said international media were granted access on the 12th day after the disaster, but that subsequent reports had not yielded new facts.It added that a volunteer team was responding to calls and emails through a dedicated hotline operating across eight countries. Families are also being assisted with practical arrangements, including the shipment of belongings left behind in Kathmandu.The foundation said it would continue coordinating with authorities and emergency services and share verified information with families as it becomes available.