Six Indian tourists go missing during trek to Nepal's Shey-Phoksundo Lake amid heavy snowfall

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, after heavy snowfall hit the high-altitude Himalayan region.

The tourists were 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, which connect the two regions.

Local officials suspect that the group may have been stranded by heavy snowfall while returning from Dho towards Phoksundo Lake. The adverse weather conditions have made it difficult to establish their exact location.

Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Hamal confirmed that the tourists became stranded while returning from Dho. She said local residents had warned them against crossing the mountain passes due to deteriorating weather conditions, but they continued with their journey.

Shey-Phoksundo Rural Municipality chairman Dhawa Samduk Gurung said the absence of mobile network connectivity in the mountain passes had complicated efforts to trace the group.

"Mobile phone communication is unavailable in the mountain passes between Wards 4 and 8, making it difficult to obtain information about the tourists' whereabouts and current condition," he said.

Dolpa Deputy Superintendent of Police Anil Raj Giri said the six Indian nationals remained untraceable as of the latest update. Authorities have also approached the concerned agency to arrange a helicopter for search and rescue operations.

A team of the Nepal Army has been deployed to help locate the missing tourists and assist in rescue efforts. However, heavy snowfall, poor weather conditions and limited communication facilities have hampered the operation.

The district administration has urged tourists visiting the region to avoid risky routes and remain in safe locations until weather conditions improve.

According to the District Administration Office, 244 tourists have travelled to Upper Dolpa. Of these, 149 are Nepali nationals, 44 are from SAARC countries, and 51 are citizens of other foreign countries.

Tourist arrivals in the Shey-Phoksundo Lake region have increased in recent years. Official figures show that 4,882 tourists visited Phoksundo Lake during the first 11 months of Nepal's fiscal year 2082/83.

The snowfall has reportedly been influenced by Cyclone Arnab, which is developing over the Bay of Bengal.