WorldNepal
Six Indian trekkers missing in Nepal's Dolpa after heavy snow; army team sent to search
The group of two women and four men lost contact near two high passes on the way to Shey Phoksundo Lake. Local officials say they were warned about the weather but went ahead, and a helicopter has been sought for the search.
Key points
- Six Indian tourists, two women and four men, have lost contact in Nepal's Dolpa district.
- They were last known to be near Numla Pass and Bagla Pass, which have no phone coverage.
- A Nepal Army team has been deployed and a helicopter requested for the search.
Six Indian tourists have gone missing in heavy snowfall in Nepal’s Dolpa district, high in the Himalayas in the west of the country, and a Nepal Army team has been sent to look for them, local officials said on Sunday.
The group, two women and four men, was trekking from Dho towards Shey Phoksundo Lake, the country’s deepest lake, when contact was lost near Numla Pass and Bagla Pass. The passes lie in Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality and have no mobile coverage, which officials say has made it hard to learn anything about where the six are or how they are.
Dolpa’s Chief District Officer, Junu Hamal, said the group had been warned before setting out. “They had been warned by locals about the difficult weather and mountain conditions but proceeded with their journey,” Hamal said.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Anilraj Giri said the tourists “remain out of contact, according to the latest information”. Officials have asked for a helicopter for the search, but snow and poor weather in the mountains have slowed the effort.
Dhawa Samduk Gurung, who chairs Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality, said phones do not work in the passes between the municipality’s wards. A local guide suspects the snowfall, linked to Cyclone Arnab, which formed in the Bay of Bengal, left the group stranded.
The remote region draws a small but steady stream of trekkers. District officials say 244 tourists have reached Upper Dolpa so far, including 44 from South Asian countries, and 4,882 people visited Phoksundo Lake in the first 11 months of Nepal’s last fiscal year. The names and home towns of the six Indians have not been made public.