Dubai: Thirty-seven NRIs are among nearly 400 Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims reported missing after devastating flash floods killed 19 people, cut off roads and communications along Nepal’s border with Tibet, adding a new dimension to the massive search for travellers stranded in the disaster zone.Besides the 105 Indians and 37 NRIs, the preliminary list includes 93 Nepalis, three US citizens and 12 British citizens, according to preliminary figures released by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).In all, 384 travellers — 291 foreign nationals and 93 Nepalis — were reported missing from affected areas after the Bhote Koshi River surged through Rasuwa district on Wednesday morning.Many were travelling for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and were scheduled to cross the Nepal-China border through Rasuwagadhi, according to The Kathmandu Post.However, officials stressed that the figures are preliminary and being cross-checked with travel agencies, guides, local authorities and security agencies.Being listed as missing does not necessarily mean the travellers were swept away or injured. In many cases, authorities have simply been unable to establish contact after roads and communications were disrupted.The Tourism Board said it was working with Tourist Police and tourism stakeholders to establish the whereabouts and safety of people who were in or travelling through the affected areas.Pilgrims cut off near Tibet borderThe pilgrims were clients of several travel agencies and had been due to cross the border on Wednesday, The Kathmandu Post reported. Contact had been established with only a few of them.The flooding has devastated parts of the mountainous border region, destroying roads, damaging infrastructure and leaving some of the worst-hit areas inaccessible.Security forces have mounted a major rescue operation involving the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepali Army.Fourteen helicopters have been deployed for search-and-rescue operations, according to The Kathmandu Post.What is the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra?Where is it? Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar are located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, north of the Nepal border.Why is Mount Kailash sacred? Hindus revere Mount Kailash as the abode of diety Shiva. It is also sacred to Buddhists, Jains and followers of the Bon tradition.What do pilgrims do? Pilgrims traditionally undertake a parikrama, or circumambulation, around Mount Kailash and visit the nearby high-altitude Lake Mansarovar.Why is the journey challenging? Mount Kailash rises to more than 6,600 metres, while the pilgrimage takes travellers through extremely high-altitude Himalayan terrain where weather and road conditions can change rapidly.Why were pilgrims in Nepal? Nepal provides one of the routes used by pilgrims travelling towards Tibet and the Kailash Mansarovar region. Rasuwagadhi, in Rasuwa district, is a major Nepal-China border crossing.How are the floods affecting them? Roads and communications around the border region have been badly disrupted, making it difficult for authorities and tour operators to establish contact with hundreds of travellers.The disaster has also hit the security forces themselves. Nine Armed Police Force personnel stationed at Timure near the Nepal-China border were reported missing.Roads linking the worst-affected areas have been swept away, while drone footage from Nuwakot showed widespread destruction.Authorities have warned people living near the Trishuli River to stay away from riverbanks and move to safer areas as floodwaters travel downstream.The disaster comes during the Himalayan monsoon season, when Nepal regularly faces floods and landslides.The precise trigger for Wednesday's flash flood is still being investigated.Officials at Nepal’s Flood Forecasting Division received preliminary information that a landslide may have blocked a river before the accumulated water burst through, The Kathmandu Post reported.Separately, experts cited by AFP said a preliminary assessment suggested a rock-ice avalanche in Nepal may have blocked the Lhende River, triggering a cascading flood.Search for hundredsThe scale of the operation is complicated by the rugged Himalayan terrain, washed-out roads and disrupted communications.The Nepal Tourism Board said the information on missing tourists was based on agency-wise records received from tourism and travel companies and was still being verified.That distinction is crucial as families wait for information: the list identifies people authorities and tour operators have been unable to account for, rather than confirming that all 384 were directly caught in the flood.For India, the search has particular urgency.The preliminary list includes 105 Indian nationals and another 37 NRIs among those whose whereabouts authorities are trying to establish.Many were undertaking a pilgrimage to one of Hinduism’s most sacred destinations when the flood severed their route towards Tibet.What should have been a journey to Kailash Mansarovar has instead left hundreds of families waiting for one thing: confirmation that their loved ones are safe. A Senior Associate Editor with more than 30 years in the media, Stephen N.R. curates, edits and publishes impactful stories for Gulf News — both in print and online — focusing on Middle East politics, student issues and explainers on global topics.