Surkhet, October 8
Around 300 Nepali citizens who went from Humla to China are stranded in Purang, Tibet, after heavy snow accumulated on the Hilsa-Simkot road section and blocked movement. With the road still closed, they cannot return home and have been forced to stay on the Chinese side.
According to information provided online by Sam Chen, who is in Purang, around 300 citizens from various local levels of Humla are currently stranded there. He said more than 150 of them are from Namkha Rural Municipality alone.
Chen said that because snow has closed the road from Hilsa towards Simkot, they cannot return home and need to be rescued.
He said some people from India are also stranded in Purang along with citizens from various municipalities of Humla.
Snow blocks the way home
Purang County, in the Ngari Prefecture of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, is a major trading area linked to Humla’s Hilsa border point.
Nepalis who had gone to Purang from Humla for trade, employment and other work have been stranded there since the road was blocked.
Heavy snow on the road returning to Simkot via Hilsa has prevented vehicles from operating. With travel on foot also becoming risky, the Nepali citizens have been forced to stay in Purang.
According to the stranded citizens, it is impossible to return to Nepal until the snow is cleared and the road reopens.
They say the prolonged blockage has begun to affect their accommodation, food and other daily needs.
Return possible only after snow is cleared
Chief District Officer of Humla Bholanath Guragain said that traders and residents who went to the Chinese side are stranded there because of the snow on the Hilsa-Simkot road.
According to him, the way back to Humla via Hilsa will open only after the snow that has accumulated in the Purang area is cleared.
“Traders and locals have been stopped towards Taklakot because of snow on the road from Hilsa to Simkot. For now, there is a problem until the route opens,” he said.
The road blockage has also affected trading activity and local movement in northern Humla. Nepali citizens who reached Purang in China, in particular, are waiting for the road to open.
Coordination needed for rescue
If heavy snowfall keeps the road closed for long, the problem of the Nepali citizens stranded in Purang could become more complicated. With the information that more than 150 of them are from Namkha Rural Municipality alone, coordination appears necessary among the local level, the district administration and the concerned agencies regarding their situation.
The stranded citizens have demanded that the road be opened immediately and, if that is not possible, that they be rescued by alternative means. Continuous snowfall in the high Himalayan region is expected to make clearing the road take time.
Because the Hilsa-Simkot road is the main route of travel for the people of Humla, its closure by snow directly affects daily life, trade and movement. If the road does not reopen soon, the problem for the Nepali citizens stranded in Purang is likely to drag on.
