3 Days On, 77 Isha Foundation Pilgrims Still Missing After Nepal Floods - NDTV

**Three days after the monsoon‑season floods that ripped through Nepal’s mountainous districts, 77 members of an Isha Foundation pilgrimage group remain unaccounted for, according to a report by NDTV.** The disaster, triggered by a sudden glacial‑lake outburst and subsequent landslides, has claimed at least 626 lives nationwide and left thousands homeless, according to the BBC’s rolling coverage. Rescue teams continue to comb the devastated valleys of the Karnali and Dolpa regions, while authorities have warned that the formation of new glacial lakes at the avalanche’s source could spark further floods if the unstable moraine ruptures.

The missing pilgrims were part of a large spiritual trek organized by the Isha Foundation, which had gathered hundreds of devotees from across India for a ritual pilgrimage in the remote Himalayas. Twenty‑one Tamil Nadu pilgrims managed to escape the floodwaters and have recounted the harrowing scenes they witnessed: roaring torrents that swept away tents, the anguished cries of families, and makeshift shelters that collapsed under the weight of the water. Their testimonies, reported by NDTV, underline the chaotic conditions that hampered early rescue attempts and left many unable to locate their companions. The foundation has appealed for urgent assistance, while local officials continue to tally the missing, now at 77.

In a separate development, Nepal’s foreign minister told Reuters that the country’s immediate need is not additional search‑and‑rescue personnel but technical expertise to monitor and mitigate the growing risk of glacial‑lake bursts. International experts are being invited to assess the newly formed lakes identified by scientists from *The Hindu*, who warned that the lakes could swell and trigger further avalanches if not properly drained. The Nepali government, meanwhile, is coordinating with neighboring India and aid agencies to deliver food, medical supplies, and temporary shelters, while urging the global community to prioritize long‑term climate‑adaptation measures for the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.

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