Kathmandu: Six Indian tourists, stranded in the upper reaches of the remote Dolpa district in western Nepal amid heavy snowfall, were safely rescued by helicopter on Monday morning, a senior police officer in the district said.
The Indian tourists had been out of contact since October 31 because of snowfall in the area.
“A helicopter was deployed after they were located, and they were brought to the district headquarters, Dunai,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Anil Raj Giri, chief of the District Police Office in Dolpa, told IANS.
He said the health conditions of all six rescued tourists were normal.
DSP Giri said the tourists were rescued from the Danigadh area of Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality after being caught in severe weather conditions.
The group encountered heavy snowfall while trekking from Dho Tarap towards Shey-Phoksundo Lake, a popular tourist destination.
Upon receiving information about the stranded tourists on October 31, authorities launched efforts to rescue them, officials told local media. However, they said that the operation was delayed because of adverse weather conditions and difficulties in arranging a helicopter.
According to DSP Giri, the Indian tourists had reached Upper Dolpa without obtaining the required administrative permits. The Department of Immigration is responsible for issuing trekking permits to foreign nationals visiting restricted areas in the upper part of the district.
Giri asserted local authorities had warned the tourists against travelling in the area because of worsening weather conditions linked to Cyclone Arnab in the Bay of Bengal.
On October 27, Nepal’s Department of Immigration suspended the issuance of trekking permits for restricted areas in the high hills and Himalayan regions for October 29–31, citing a high risk of heavy snowfall, snowstorms and avalanches.
The decision followed a warning from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority urging tourists to avoid travelling to these areas during the three days.
The authority separately had advised tourists to take precautions, warning that road and air transport services and other aspects of daily life could be disrupted. It had also urged people to avoid non-essential travel during the period.
(IANS)
