All Indians on Mt. Kailash pilgrim trail have left China following flash floods in Nepal: MEA

The 2026 Kailash Manasarovar Yatra has officially ended with all Indian pilgrims having left Chinese territory bordering Nepal, following the flash floods in the Bhote Koshi River on August 26, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday (September 4, 2026).

MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that 275 Indian nationals remain missing till now and 169 Indians have been rescued. He further indicated that the total number of missing persons may fluctuate a bit in the days to come as some survivors are still being discovered in various areas of the vast stretch of the disaster-hit region.

The Kailash Manasarovar Yatra 2026 was announced by the MEA on April 30 and the pilgrimage was to take place between June to August. This year 10 batches, each consisting of 50 pilgrims and travellers, were scheduled to travel through Lipulekh pass and Nathu La pass.

Apart from the Government of India-assisted tour of Mt. Kailash, travellers who chose private travel agencies used the Nepali route through Gyirong border crossing of China. On August 26, significant number of pilgrims and travellers went missing from the Gyirong border port, which was hit by the flash floods.

Official sources said that with the evacuation of the private Indian travellers, all Indians have left the Tibetan region bordering Nepal that hosts travellers during the season when Chinese authorities allow the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra.

During the Chinese official season for tour of Kailash, some international travellers also travel to the mountain through major Chinese cities like Beijing and Shanghai.