Stranded Indian tourists rescued by chopper in Nepal

Kathmandu: Six Indian tourists who were stranded during a trek to Shey-Phoksundo Lake, the deepest lake in Nepal, in the Dolpa district following heavy snowfall have been successfully rescued by helicopter, officials confirmed on Monday.

Confirming the rescue operation, Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Hamal told ANI that the tourists were evacuated in two phases, with two women initially airlifted to the district headquarters, followed by the remaining four from the stranded location.

“They have been rescued through the helicopter. At first two females were ferried down to the district headquarters, and then after, four remained from the stranded area. Their health conditions are also normal,” Hamal told ANI.

The six Indian tourists had been stranded while travelling from Ward Nos. 4 and 8 of Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality towards Shey-Phoksundo Lake. They were last reported missing in the Numla Pass and Bagla Pass areas between Ward Nos. 4 and 8 of Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality.

According to the district official, the tourists had not obtained the required permits to enter the area and proceeded with their journey despite warnings from locals. 

The region experienced heavy snowfall under the influence of Cyclone Arnab, which was developing over the Bay of Bengal.

Officials identified the rescued tourists as Moumita Haldar, Piyali Kole, Jajala Trivedi Kumar, Aditya Singha, Diplina Biswas and Rajesh De.

The rescue operation was initially scheduled for Sunday but faced repeated delays due to technical difficulties.

An attempt to deploy a Nepal Army helicopter was abandoned after a technical issue emerged during takeoff. A subsequent rescue attempt using a Simrik Air helicopter was also halted at 4:30 pm due to technical problems.

The rescue mission finally resumed at 6 am on Monday, resulting in the successful evacuation of all six Indian tourists.

Shey-Phoksundo is a deep turquoise alpine lake situated in the Dolpa district of Karnali Province in northwestern Nepal. The area has witnessed an increase in tourist arrivals in recent years.

According to the District Administration Office, a total of 244 tourists have reached Upper Dolpa, including 149 Nepali nationals, 44 visitors from SAARC countries and 51 citizens of other foreign countries. -ANI