Kathmandu: Six Indian tourists were rescued Monday after they got stranded due to heavy snowfall in the Shey-Phoksundo National Park area of Nepal, police said.
The tourists, two women and four men, had been out of contact since November 1 because of the snowfall. They were rescued by a private helicopter Monday morning, said Binaya Singh, Police Inspector, also the spokesperson at the District Police Office, Dolpa.
All of them are undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Dune of Dolpa district, and their condition is out of danger, the police said.
The tourists had gone to the Dho area in Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality’s Ward No. 8, around 300 km northwest of Kathmandu. The area was covered in heavy snow, according to Dolpa Chief District Officer (CDO) Junu Dhakal.
Shey Phoksundo Lake, located in the rural municipality, is Nepal’s deepest lake. It is situated at an altitude of 3,600 metres and has an estimated depth of 145 metres.
On Sunday, an army helicopter had flown to the area to rescue them; however, it could not land due to bad weather conditions, and the rescue work had to be suspended.
The Indian tourists had gone to Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality Ward No. 8 despite the warning issued by the local authorities that there was heavy snowfall in the area and it was not safe for them to visit there at that time.
According to the District Administration Office, the Indian tourists had travelled to Upper Dolpa without obtaining the required administrative permits, OnlineKhabar news portal reported.
They were trapped at Numla and Wagla pass while returning after visiting Shey Phoksundo lake as there was heavy snowfall in the area Saturday, said the police officer.
Given the adverse weather conditions and the risk of heavy snowfall, the administration and residents had advised against travelling in the mountainous region.
Tourists getting stranded in heavy snowfall is not unprecedented in Nepal’s Himalayan regions. In October 2025, 15 trekkers, including three British women, were rescued after being trapped by heavy snowfall in Mustang’s Hidden Valley.
In November last year, two Nepali tourists were rescued by helicopter after being stranded in snow near the Mustang-Dolpa border.
