Six Indian tourists who were trapped due to heavy snowfall while traveling to Shey Phoksundo Lake, the deepest lake in Nepal, in the Dolpa region, were successfully rescued by helicopter.
Details of the Rescue Operation
According to local officials, the rescue operation was confirmed on Monday and was divided into two phases. In the first phase, two women were transported to the district center, and then four other tourists were rescued from the trapped location. Jano Hamal, the head of the Dolpa district office, announced that the health condition of the rescued tourists is normal.
The tourists were traveling from wards 4 and 8 of the rural municipality of Dolpo towards Shey Phoksundo Lake and were last reported at the Namla and Bagla passes between these areas. According to officials, these tourists did not have the necessary permits to enter the area and continued their journey despite local warnings.
Weather Conditions and Rescue Challenges
This area faced heavy snowfall due to Cyclone Arnab, which was developing over the Bay of Bengal. The rescue operation was initially planned for Sunday but was delayed due to technical issues. The attempt to use a Nepal Army helicopter was halted due to a technical problem during flight, and the subsequent attempt with a Simrik Air helicopter was also stopped at 4:30 PM due to technical difficulties.
Finally, the rescue operation resumed at 6 AM on Monday, and all six Indian tourists were successfully rescued. The identified tourists include Maumita Haldar, Piyali Kule, Jajal Triyodhu Kumar, Aditi Singha, Diplina Biswas, and Rajesh De.
Increase in Tourism in the Area
Shey Phoksundo Lake, located in the Dolpa region, is known as a deep and beautiful blue lake and has seen an increase in the number of tourists in recent years. According to the district office report, a total of 244 tourists have traveled to the upper Dolpa region, including 149 Nepali citizens, 44 visitors from SAARC countries, and 51 citizens from other foreign countries.
This incident serves as an important reminder of the challenges of traveling to remote areas and the need to adhere to safety guidelines and obtain the necessary permits to enter these regions.
