Six Indian tourists, including two women and four men, have gone missing during a trek to Nepal’s Shey-Phoksundo Lake, the country’s deepest lake, following heavy snowfall in the high-altitude Himalayan region.
The tourists were reportedly travelling from Wards 4 and 8 of Dolpo Buddha Rural Municipality towards Shey-Phoksundo Lake when they lost contact. They were last reported missing in the Numla Pass and Bagla Pass areas, two challenging mountain routes connecting the regions.
Local authorities suspect that the group may have become stranded due to heavy snowfall while returning from Dho towards Phoksundo Lake. Adverse weather conditions have made it difficult to determine their exact whereabouts.
Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Hamal confirmed that the tourists were stranded while returning from Dho. She said local residents had advised them against crossing the mountain passes because of worsening weather conditions, but the group continued its journey.
Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality chairman Dhawa Samduk Gurung said the lack of mobile network connectivity in the mountainous region had created additional challenges for locating the missing tourists.
Dolpa Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Raj Giri said the six Indian nationals remained untraceable in the latest update. Authorities have approached the concerned agency to arrange a helicopter for search and rescue operations.
A Nepal Army team has also been deployed to assist in locating the missing trekkers. However, heavy snowfall, deteriorating weather and limited communication facilities have slowed the rescue operation.
The district administration has urged tourists visiting the region to avoid dangerous mountain routes and remain in safer locations until weather conditions improve.
According to the District Administration Office, a total of 244 tourists have travelled to Upper Dolpa. Among them, 149 are Nepali nationals, 44 belong to SAARC countries and 51 are from other foreign countries.
Shey-Phoksundo Lake has witnessed a growing number of visitors in recent years. Official figures indicate that 4,882 tourists visited the lake during the first 11 months of Nepal’s fiscal year 2082/83.
The latest incident has raised concerns over trekking safety in Nepal’s remote Himalayan region, where sudden snowfall and extreme weather can pose serious risks to travellers.