Reports of Hyderabad travellers being stranded or missing following the devastating Nepal flash floods have caused concern among families back home. But as information emerged through disrupted communication networks, different numbers began circulating across television, digital media and social media.
Are more than 140 people from Hyderabad missing? Have some of them been found? Are the 77 pilgrims travelling with Isha Foundation also from Hyderabad?
Here is what can be established from credible reports and official information available so far on August 27.
Claim: More than 140 people from Hyderabad are missing
Not established.
Early reports suggested that around 140 to 150 people who had travelled from Hyderabad could not be contacted after the floods.
However, later reports indicate that a Hyderabad-linked group of around 153 pilgrims travelling through a private tour operator has been traced and is safe.
Namasthe Telangana reported that the group was located in the Darchen region on the Chinese side. Communication disruptions following the floods appear to have contributed to the initial fears over their whereabouts.
The important distinction is between people who could not initially be contacted and people officially declared missing.
At present, there is no official confirmation that more than 140 Hyderabad residents remain missing.
Claim: The Hyderabad pilgrimage group has been found safe
Largely true, based on the latest available reports.
Later Telugu media reports say the group of approximately 153 people who had travelled through Hyderabad has been located and is safe.
There are small discrepancies in the numbers reported by different publications, with some reports putting the number at 153 and others at around 156.
Until authorities release a complete passenger list, the precise number should therefore be treated cautiously.
But the significant update is that the large Hyderabad-linked group initially feared unreachable is now reported safe.
Claim: 77 Isha Foundation pilgrims are missing
They remain uncontactable, according to the latest information — but “missing” needs context.
Isha Foundation has said that a group of 77 pilgrims and volunteers associated with its Sacred Walks programme was at the immigration area in Gyirong while returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra when the flash flood struck.
Communication with the group was subsequently lost.
Isha Sacred Walks coordinator Maa Gambhiri told ANI that the group includes 53 people of Indian origin and people from 19 countries. More than 50 members are women.
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has also spoken publicly about attempts to establish contact with the group.
The most accurate description at this stage is therefore that the group is unreachable or uncontactable following the floods rather than assuming that all 77 have been confirmed missing.
Claim: All 77 Isha pilgrims are from Hyderabad
Not confirmed.
Some reports and social-media conversations have created an impression that the entire 77-member group is from Hyderabad.
Available information does not support that conclusion.
Isha has said the group includes people of Indian origin as well as participants from several countries. There is currently no verified list establishing that all, or even a majority, of the 77 are Hyderabad residents.
The Hyderabad connection being reported in relation to pilgrimage arrangements should not automatically be interpreted as the home city of every traveller.
Claim: Hyderabad or Telangana residents have been confirmed dead
Not confirmed at the time of publication.
There has been no official announcement establishing deaths among the Hyderabad-linked group that was subsequently reported safe.
The Telangana government has activated mechanisms to help identify and assist residents who may be stranded or unreachable, but this should not be interpreted as confirmation of casualties.
What is confirmed so far?
A severe flash-flood disaster has affected the Nepal-Tibet border region and disrupted roads, bridges and communication networks.
Indian pilgrims and tourists are among those caught in the affected region.
A large group that travelled through Hyderabad and was initially difficult to contact has subsequently been reported safe.
Separately, communication remains cut off with a 77-member Isha Sacred Walks group that was in the Gyirong immigration area.
There is currently no authoritative information establishing that all 77 are from Hyderabad.
There is also no verified official figure showing that more than 140 Hyderabad residents remain missing.
The Telangana government is coordinating with central authorities and the Indian Embassy to obtain information about people from the state.
Why are the numbers changing?
In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, “not reachable”, “stranded” and “missing” can quickly become interchangeable in news reports and social-media posts.
They do not mean the same thing.
Mobile and internet connectivity has been severely affected in parts of the disaster zone. A traveller whose family cannot reach them may therefore be reported as “missing” before authorities have established whether that person is actually unaccounted for.
Passenger numbers are another source of confusion. Different tour operators and pilgrimage groups were travelling through the broader Nepal-Tibet and Kailash Mansarovar routes, and references to “Hyderabad groups” do not necessarily mean every passenger is a Hyderabad resident.
What families should do
Families unable to contact relatives travelling in the affected region should rely on information from the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, Telangana government and the relevant tour operator rather than unverified lists circulating on social media.
The Telangana government has opened coordination channels through Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi and officials in Hyderabad to collect information about residents who may require assistance.
The situation remains fluid. The clearest picture as of August 27 is reassuring for one of the biggest groups connected to Hyderabad: the approximately 153-member pilgrimage group initially causing concern is reported safe.
The status of other travellers, particularly members of the Isha Sacred Walks group who remain out of communication, continues to be established.
This article will be updated as verified information becomes available.
