Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
(27 Aug 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
McMinnville, Tennessee, USA - 27 August 2026
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
“So we've had over 1000 people in 21 different groups on this particular track. Right now, 495 of them are already there. They're back and done with the track and safe. About 743 remain in Tibet right now in various areas. They are all safe. Our current focus is to get everybody out and reroute it safely. There's another 148 in Kathmandu that hadn't started yet, and all travel is off now and they'll be returning home. These 80 people. There were 77, you know, participants and volunteers and other three volunteers that were supporting this group that were affected, they were in the wrong, area. And the immigration center on the Chinese side. They were done with the truck. They were. You're coming back through immigration to to head to Kathmandu to head home. We had communication with the coordinator of the group at about 905, Nepalese time saying that they had arrived there. And then by 914, is when this flash flood hit- very devastating in terms of its size and very unexpected. Of these 80 people. They're from 19 different countries. From across the globe. Various ages, from 30 in their 30s on up parents, people of different cultural backgrounds, different spiritual backgrounds. 22 of the people were from America, affiliated with, sent with this center, and 12 from Canada. These are people who have come here for programs. They have come here to volunteer. They've brought their families here. They've gone back to their city centers and volunteered from their city centers. So these are like family to us. These are people that we knew, and we volunteered alongside of, for for many years.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
“We have been in contact with the state departments, with the embassies. Our founder, Sadhguru, is still there. He is talking to the officials. He is supporting the volunteers there. He's made a plea to the Chinese government to be allowed to, you know, be on site. At this point, the Chinese government has organized heavily. They have an army. They have a force of people, a force of equipment there, at ground level, doing search, rescue, whatever is needed. And all of the travel bans are on at this point. And because of the level of devastation and danger in the area. We are standing by. We're standing by to see if there's something that we can do to support this, and standing by with the embassies and the people who are in contact for more information, as we get more information, will be, will be, talking to the families. On this side, our focus has been on the families. The minute we heard the news, we reached out to all the families involved and had communication with them. We have volunteers across these areas of the country. They went to these the homes of the people affected and are doing whatever they can.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
"I spent some time yesterday with one of the families, and I think it's just complete shock and surprise. I don't.. how do you put your mind around it? And so I think they're waiting. They're just there waiting, and they're hopeful. And they want information. They want that communication."
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
STORYLINE:
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(27 Aug 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
McMinnville, Tennessee, USA - 27 August 2026
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
“So we've had over 1000 people in 21 different groups on this particular track. Right now, 495 of them are already there. They're back and done with the track and safe. About 743 remain in Tibet right now in various areas. They are all safe. Our current focus is to get everybody out and reroute it safely. There's another 148 in Kathmandu that hadn't started yet, and all travel is off now and they'll be returning home. These 80 people. There were 77, you know, participants and volunteers and other three volunteers that were supporting this group that were affected, they were in the wrong, area. And the immigration center on the Chinese side. They were done with the truck. They were. You're coming back through immigration to to head to Kathmandu to head home. We had communication with the coordinator of the group at about 905, Nepalese time saying that they had arrived there. And then by 914, is when this flash flood hit- very devastating in terms of its size and very unexpected. Of these 80 people. They're from 19 different countries. From across the globe. Various ages, from 30 in their 30s on up parents, people of different cultural backgrounds, different spiritual backgrounds. 22 of the people were from America, affiliated with, sent with this center, and 12 from Canada. These are people who have come here for programs. They have come here to volunteer. They've brought their families here. They've gone back to their city centers and volunteered from their city centers. So these are like family to us. These are people that we knew, and we volunteered alongside of, for for many years.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
“We have been in contact with the state departments, with the embassies. Our founder, Sadhguru, is still there. He is talking to the officials. He is supporting the volunteers there. He's made a plea to the Chinese government to be allowed to, you know, be on site. At this point, the Chinese government has organized heavily. They have an army. They have a force of people, a force of equipment there, at ground level, doing search, rescue, whatever is needed. And all of the travel bans are on at this point. And because of the level of devastation and danger in the area. We are standing by. We're standing by to see if there's something that we can do to support this, and standing by with the embassies and the people who are in contact for more information, as we get more information, will be, will be, talking to the families. On this side, our focus has been on the families. The minute we heard the news, we reached out to all the families involved and had communication with them. We have volunteers across these areas of the country. They went to these the homes of the people affected and are doing whatever they can.”
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
"I spent some time yesterday with one of the families, and I think it's just complete shock and surprise. I don't.. how do you put your mind around it? And so I think they're waiting. They're just there waiting, and they're hopeful. And they want information. They want that communication."
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Leslie Crespi, community liaison for Isha Foundation at Isha Institute of Inner Sciences:
STORYLINE:
Find out more about AP Archive: aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: instagram.com/APNews
You can license this story through AP Archive: aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/9f655bdee95f45bb9c3516fd5731fb2a
