MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino doctor who joined a pilgrimage tour in Nepal has been reported missing after massive flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, August 26.
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| Photo courtesy: Chiara Manalo |
Juan Carlos Manalo, 30, was traveling with a group of pilgrims when the disaster hit, with his family saying they have been unable to contact him since Tuesday afternoon.
His sister, Chiara Manalo, said the family’s last communication with Juan Carlos was 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 they were reportedly preparing to leave the area and return to India.
Juan Carlos was part of a Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage group organized by the Isha Foundation, an India-based spiritual organization led by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.
Sadhguru said 77 pilgrims from one of his Kailash groups were at the Gyirong immigration office when floodwaters swamped the building and much of the surrounding town.
Chiara said Juan Carlos had regularly sent updates to his family during the pilgrimage until they received a call about the disaster on the night of August 26.
The Nepal Department of Tourism has listed Juan Carlos among foreigners reported missing following the disaster.
The disaster has left around 1,400 people missing, while more than 300 people have been confirmed dead, according to the latest reports, with casualties and missing persons recorded on both the Nepalese and Chinese sides of the border.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday that the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi and the honorary consulate in Kathmandu were coordinating with Nepali authorities and awaiting confirmation regarding the missing Filipino.
The floods were triggered by a glacier collapse that caused a landslide, sending a torrent of water, ice and debris through communities along the border.
Juan Carlos’ family is appealing to anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact Jose Rodrigo Manalo at +63 917 302 3077, Dinah Marie Manalo at +63 917 514 3465, or Chiara Manalo at +63 917 791 7849.
— The Summit Express
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