All Indian pilgrims leave Tibet after Nepal floods; 275 still missing
MEA confirms all Indian pilgrims have left Tibet after Nepal flash floods. 275 remain missing; 169 rescued so far.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Friday that the 2026 Kailash Manasarovar Yatra has concluded, with all Indian pilgrims having departed from the Tibetan region bordering Nepal. The move follows devastating flash floods in the Bhote Koshi River on August 26 that struck the Gyirong border port, a key transit point for the pilgrimage.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that 275 Indian nationals remain unaccounted for, while 169 have been rescued so far. Officials cautioned that the number of missing persons could fluctuate as search operations continue across the vast, disaster-hit terrain and survivors are located.
The annual pilgrimage, announced by the MEA on April 30, was scheduled to run from June through August. This year, ten batches of 50 pilgrims each were planned to travel via the Lipulekh and Nathu La passes. In addition to the government-organised route, many private travellers had entered Tibet through Nepal using the Gyirong crossing.
With the evacuation of these private travellers, official sources confirmed that no Indian nationals remain in the region. The area is typically open to international visitors during the Chinese-sanctioned yatra season, with some travellers also reaching the mountain via Beijing and Shanghai.