Ten Toronto residents who were part of a group trekking in Nepal are currently missing following severe flash flooding in the region earlier this week, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the organizing foundation. Leslie Crespi, a community liaison for the Isha Foundation in North America, revealed that these ten individuals are among the 80 members of the foundation who are still unaccounted for.
Out of the 12 Canadians on the trek, these ten individuals were reported missing. Crespi mentioned that there has been no communication with the 80 individuals involved since the incident. The group had contacted the Isha Foundation coordinator at 9:07 a.m. on Wednesday when they reached a Chinese immigration center in Gyirong County, Tibet, just moments before the flash flooding occurred at 9:14 a.m.
Despite efforts to stay updated through embassies and officials, there has been a lack of communication with the group consisting of members from 19 different countries. They were returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a sacred pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, which holds significance for various religious groups.
Families of the missing group members are in a state of shock, with Crespi expressing the devastating and unexpected nature of the disaster. She emphasized the close-knit nature of the group, some of whom have been associated with the foundation for over two decades, making the impact of the flood extremely profound.
The situation remains critical as search and rescue efforts continue, and the global community waits anxiously for any updates on the well-being and whereabouts of the missing individuals.