Helicopter crews safely evacuated six stranded Indian mountain trekkers

Six Indian nationals trapped by severe snowfall in Nepal have been safely evacuated via helicopter. Emergency responders successfully airlifted the group from a remote trekking route in the Dolpa district on Monday morning. Two women were initially flown to the district headquarters, and the remaining four tourists were brought down shortly after. Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Hamal confirmed that everyone is in normal health. The travelers were trying to reach Shey-Phoksundo Lake when they got caught in extreme weather triggered by Cyclone Arnab over the Bay of Bengal. Teams faced multiple hurdles before successfully bringing the group back. Initial flights planned for Sunday experienced significant delays because of mechanical troubles. One military chopper suffered takeoff issues, and a subsequent civilian flight was grounded late Sunday afternoon. Operations resumed at dawn on Monday, resulting in a safe recovery for Moumita Haldar, Piyali Kole, Jajala Trivedi Kumar, Aditya Singha, Diplina Biswas, and Rajesh De.

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Safety Warnings Ignored

Local authorities noted that the group proceeded without proper entry permits and bypassed warnings from residents about deteriorating weather conditions. They went missing near high-altitude passes between Ward Nos. 4 and 8 of the Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality. Upper Dolpa is experiencing growing footfall, with over 4,800 visitors recorded this fiscal year. Officials are now urging incoming visitors to stay in secure locations and avoid high-risk zones during unpredictable climate events.

​​​​​​​With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI