Six Indian Tourists Trapped in Nepal After Heavy Snowfall, Rescue Efforts Continue

The rescue of six Indian tourists, including two women, stranded in the snow-covered mountains of Nepal's Dolpa district has been delayed after a technical problem affected a Nepal Army helicopter, forcing authorities to look for an alternative aircraft.

The tourists have been stranded in the Danigad area of Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality in Upper Dolpa since Saturday afternoon after heavy snowfall cut off access to the region and disrupted communication with the group.

Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Hamal Dhakal said authorities had located the area where the tourists were stranded and were making arrangements to evacuate them. However, the helicopter stationed at the Nepal Army's Surkhet air base developed a technical problem, delaying the planned operation.

Officials were searching for another helicopter to carry out the rescue. The district administration was also prepared to cover the evacuation expenses through its Disaster Management Fund.

The stranded tourists have been identified as Moumita Halder, Piyali Koley, Jajla Trivedi Kumar, Aditya Singha, Diplina Bishwas and Rajesh De.

According to the district administration, the group had travelled to the Dho area in Ward 8 of Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality. They reportedly continued towards the lake despite warnings from security personnel and their Nepali guide about the worsening weather. The tourists left the guide behind and proceeded further into the snow-covered area.

The guide alerted the district administration on Saturday evening after suspecting that the group had become trapped. Communication with the tourists was completely disrupted by Sunday morning, raising concerns about their safety.

Authorities have clarified that the tourists are not being treated as missing because their location has been identified.

The group was visiting the region around Shey-Phoksundo Lake, Nepal's deepest lake, situated at an altitude of approximately 3,600 metres and with an estimated depth of 145 metres.