Six Indian tourists, including two women, have been stranded in heavy snowfall in Nepal's Shey-Phoksundo National Park in Dolpa district since Saturday afternoon, officials said on Sunday. An operation is under way to rescue the group, with a Nepal Army helicopter expected to assist.
Source: PTI via News18
The tourists had travelled to the Dho area in Ward No. 8 of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality, where heavy snowfall disrupted their movement and communication. Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Dhakal told PTI that authorities had located the area where the tourists were stranded. "We have located the area where they are stranded, and an Army helicopter is arriving to rescue them. We hope to rescue them soon," Dhakal said, clarifying that the group could not be described as missing because the area had been located.
The District Administration Office in Dolpa identified the six tourists in a press release as Moumita Halder, Piyali Koley, Jajla Trivedi Kumar, Aditya Singha, Diplina Bishwas and Rajesh De. Security personnel are being mobilised to reach the area, the statement said.
According to officials, the group ventured into the snow-covered area despite warnings from security personnel and their Nepali guide, and proceeded towards the lake area after leaving the guide behind. Communication with the tourists was disrupted on Saturday night and was completely lost by Sunday morning. The guide contacted the District Administration Office on Saturday evening, saying the tourists might have been stranded because of the snowfall.
News agency ANI reported that the tourists lost contact in the Numla Pass and Bagla Pass areas, between Wards 4 and 8 of Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality, while travelling from the Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality side towards the lake. Dolpa Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Raj Giri said the six remained uncontactable and that authorities had requested a helicopter for the search. Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality chairman Dhawa Samduk Gurung said there is no mobile phone coverage in the mountain passes, making it difficult to get information about the group.
Source: ANI via The Daily Jagran
Snowfall has affected high-altitude areas of Shey-Phoksundo, Dolpo Buddha and Chharka Tangsong rural municipalities since Saturday, while lower parts of Dolpa have received rain. Local guides suspect the snowfall was influenced by Cyclone Arnab over the Bay of Bengal. According to the District Administration Office, 244 tourists have reached Upper Dolpa, including 149 Nepali nationals, 44 visitors from SAARC countries and 51 citizens of other foreign countries.
Shey-Phoksundo Lake, inside the national park of the same name, is Nepal's deepest lake. It sits at an altitude of around 3,600 metres and has an estimated depth of about 145 metres, in a remote mountain region where heavy snowfall can quickly cut off trails and communications.