Gandaki, October 11
Tourists heading to the Manaslu Conservation Area in Gorkha have been stranded along the route after flooding in the Budhi Gandaki River this morning damaged trekking trails.
According to Bhuvanraj Ojha, conservation officer at the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, all the tourists are in safe locations, and efforts are underway to rescue them.
More than 100 foreign tourists have been stranded in Jagat, located in Chum Nubri Rural Municipality-3, which serves as the gateway to the Manaslu Conservation Area, he said.
“Ninety-eight foreign tourists entered the conservation area on Saturday. Other tourists who reached Jagat by night are also staying there safely,” Ojha said. “Efforts are underway to arrange helicopter rescues.”
Tourist movement has been halted after the flood damaged the main trekking trail to Manaslu and suspension bridges. Seventeen tourists are also awaiting rescue in Lokpa, Chum Nubri Rural Municipality-6, he said.
Similarly, 40 tourists are in Chhekampar in the Chum Valley area, according to Ojha.
Krishna Prasad Acharya, president of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), Gandaki, said coordination was underway with local governments and security agencies to ensure that tourists, porters and trekking guides stranded along the route could reach their destinations safely.
“Efforts are underway to collect data on the number of tourists in the Manaslu Conservation Area, rescue them and ensure their safe movement,” he said. “Natural disasters during the main tourist season have affected the tourism sector.”
