FILIPINO DOCTOR AMONG MISSING AFTER DEADLY NEPAL-TIBET FLOODS

A Filipino doctor is among the foreign travelers reported missing after massive flash floods and landslides struck near the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, August 26.

Dr. Juan Carlos Manalo was traveling with a group of pilgrims on a Kailash Mansarovar Yatra organized by India-based Isha Foundation when the disaster occurred.

His sister, Chiara Manalo, said the family last heard from Juan Carlos at 1:21 p.m. Philippine time on August 25, a day before the floods struck.

The group’s last known location was the immigration office in Gyirong, on the Tibetan side of the border, where the pilgrims were reportedly preparing to return from their pilgrimage.

According to Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, 77 pilgrims from one of his Kailash groups were at the Gyirong immigration office when the flash flood swept through the area, inundating the building and parts of the town.

At the time, there was no official information on the whereabouts of the pilgrims.

Juan Carlos had reportedly been volunteering as a medical worker at an Isha Foundation center in India for the past several years. His sister said he traveled to India in May and joined the Kailash pilgrimage around August 6 or 8.

The doctor had regularly sent updates to his family during his trip. The communication stopped before the family learned about the disaster on the night of August 26.

Chiara said she contacted the Philippine representative connected with the pilgrimage group and was told that Juan Carlos and the other pilgrims were at the immigration office while preparing to return to India when the flash flood struck.

The family is appealing to anyone with information about Juan Carlos’ whereabouts to contact them.

Jose Rodrigo Manalo: +63 917 302 3077Dinah Marie Manalo: +63 917 514 3465Chiara Manalo: +63 917 791 7849

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi and the Philippine honorary consulate in Kathmandu are coordinating with Nepali authorities regarding the reported missing Filipino.

The DFA said it is awaiting confirmation from Nepali authorities on the Filipino national’s status.

The disaster has left hundreds dead and hundreds more missing in Nepal and China. Reuters reported that at least 359 people had been confirmed dead and nearly 1,000 remained missing across the two countries.

The flooding was triggered by a massive collapse in the Himalayan region involving ice, rock and debris, sending torrents of water through communities near the border.

Search-and-rescue operations continue as authorities work to locate survivors and account for those still missing.

For Juan Carlos Manalo’s family, the search continues as they wait for word on his whereabouts and hope for his safe return.