Six Indian tourists, including two women and four men, went missing while trekking towards Shey-Phoksundo Lake in Nepal after heavy snowfall disrupted travel across the high-altitude Himalayan region.
The group was travelling from Wards 4 and 8 of Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality towards the lake and was last reported missing around Numla Pass and Bagla Pass. Officials suspect the tourists became stranded while returning from Dho towards Phoksundo Lake as worsening weather made it difficult to determine their whereabouts.
Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Hamal confirmed that the group had become stranded during the return journey. She said local residents had advised the tourists against crossing the mountain passes because of deteriorating weather, but they proceeded with their trek.
Search efforts have faced additional challenges because mobile networks are unavailable in the mountain passes, according to Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality chairman Dhawa Samduk Gurung. Dolpa Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Raj Giri said the six remained untraceable as of the latest update.
Authorities have approached the concerned agency to arrange a helicopter for search and rescue operations. A Nepal Army team has also been deployed to locate the tourists and assist in the operation, which has been hampered by snowfall, poor weather and limited communication facilities.
The district administration has advised visitors to avoid hazardous routes and remain in safe locations until conditions improve.
According to the District Administration Office, 244 tourists had travelled to Upper Dolpa, including 149 Nepali nationals, 44 visitors from SAARC countries and 51 from other foreign countries.
Official figures showed that 4,882 tourists visited the Shey-Phoksundo Lake region during the first 11 months of Nepal’s fiscal year 2082/83. The latest snowfall was reportedly influenced by Cyclone Arnab, which was developing over the Bay of Bengal.
