KATHMANDU: Six Indian tourists, including two women, have been stranded in the Shey-Phoksundo National Park area of Nepal since Saturday afternoon due to heavy snowfall, with security personnel mobilised and efforts underway to rescue them, officials said on Sunday.
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 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.
"We have located the area where they are stranded, and an Army helicopter is arriving to rescue them. We hope to rescue them soon," Dhakal told PTI.
However, the rescue operation faced a delay after a technical problem developed in a Nepali Army helicopter stationed at Surkhet, according to a report by Nepal's Onlinekhabar news portal.
The report further said authorities were looking for an alternative helicopter to carry out the rescue.
The Indian tourists had ventured into the area despite warnings from security personnel and the Nepali guide accompanying them, Dhakal said.
The chief district officer further said the tourists left the guide and proceeded towards the lake area despite heavy snowfall. Communication with them was disrupted on Saturday night.
The guide contacted the District Administration Office in Dolpa on Saturday evening, saying the tourists might have been stranded due to heavy snowfall, she said. However, communication was completely disrupted on Sunday morning.
"We cannot say they are missing, as we have located the area," Dhakal added. The tourists have been identified as Moumita Halder, Piyali Koley, Jajla Trivedi Kumar, Aditya Singha, Diplina Bishwas and Rajesh De, according to a press release issued by the district administration office in Dolpa.
Security personnel are being mobilised, and a rescue helicopter is expected to arrive soon, the press release said.
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, according to local media reports.