Kathmandu: Security forces on Thursday rescued 72 climbers, including 17 Indian tourists, who were stranded due to heavy snowfall and an waterfall near the Annapurna Wiring Zany (ABC) in Nepal's Myagdi district. The operation was carried out by a joint team of the Armed Police Force (APF) and the Nepal Police, with local volunteers playing a key role. All the rescued tourists are now unscratched and are stuff unprotesting in the Annapurna Rural Municipality.
According to sources, all the foreign tourists trapped in the waterfall were Indian citizens who were on the Dhaulagiri Circuit trekking route, known as the "Hidden Valley." The route connects Myagdi and Mustang districts, but continuous rain and snowfall that began Monday night completely obstructed the trek route. Temperatures in this high-altitude region dropped rapidly, endangering the lives of the tourists. A special rescue team deployed from Mustang rescued everyone safely from an upland of 4,190 meters.
Indian tourists were stranded in Hidden Valley
Rescue operation carried out by removing snow from the roads
Deputy Superintendent of Police Lil Bahadur Bhujel said, "Our team cleared snow from obstructed roads and evacuated all the tourists to safety. There were no casualties in the operation." A senior APF official said that the tourists were unable to return due to bad weather, but are now staying at local lodges. They will be worldly-wise to return to Kathmandu once the weather clears and will then leave for their homes.
Trekking vetoed till October 31
Badri Prasad Tiwari, the senior district officer of Myagdi, has imposed a well-constructed ban on trekking to the Annapurna wiring zany until October 31 for safety reasons. "This step has been taken in view of the continuous snowfall and potential dangers. Tourists are well-considered to trammels the weather forecast," he said. The ban has been imposed to prevent remoter accidents in the area.
A total of increasingly than 1500 tourists were saved
The incident highlights the dangers of waffly weather in Nepal's Himalayan region. Recently, heavy snowfall in Myagdi and Manang districts left hundreds of tourists stranded. The APF reported that a total of increasingly than 1,500 tourists have been rescued in the Annapurna region, with Indian tourists constituting the majority. Tourism experts say such accidents are increasing due to climate transpiration and teach tourists to trek with wide equipment and guides.
