Kathmandu, November 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Six Indian tourists stranded in the upper reaches of Nepal’s remote Dolpa district amid heavy snowfall were safely rescued by helicopter on Monday morning, police said.
The group had been out of contact since October 31 after encountering severe weather while trekking from Dho Tarap towards Shey-Phoksundo Lake, a popular tourist destination in western Nepal.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Raj Giri, chief of the Dolpa District Police Office, said the tourists were located in the Danigadh area of Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality before a helicopter was arranged to bring them to the district headquarters, Dunai.
“All six were brought safely to the district headquarters. Their health conditions are normal,” Giri said.
Authorities had launched a search and rescue effort after receiving information about the stranded group on October 31. However, heavy snowfall and difficulties in arranging a helicopter delayed the operation.
Giri said the tourists had travelled to Upper Dolpa without obtaining the mandatory administrative permits required for foreign nationals visiting restricted areas. Trekking permits for such areas are issued by Nepal’s Department of Immigration.
He added that local authorities had warned the group against travelling in the region because of deteriorating weather conditions associated with Cyclone Arnab in the Bay of Bengal.
Nepal’s Department of Immigration had announced a temporary suspension of trekking permits for restricted high-altitude and Himalayan areas from October 29 to 31, citing the risk of heavy snowfall, snowstorms and avalanches.
The decision followed an advisory from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority urging tourists to avoid travel to vulnerable mountain regions during the period. It had also warned of possible disruptions to road and air transport and advised people to avoid non-essential journeys.
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