Nepal tourist rescue: six Indians airlifted from snowbound Dolpa

A Nepal tourist rescue brought six Indian visitors to safety on Monday morning, November 2, after heavy snowfall stranded them in the Shey-Phoksundo National Park area, police said. A private helicopter evacuated the group from Dolpa.

The tourists, comprising two women and four men, had been unreachable since November 1. Police said they were being treated at a government hospital in Dune, Dolpa district, and were out of danger.

Bad weather prevented the first helicopter landing

Binaya Singh, a police inspector and spokesperson for the District Police Office in Dolpa, confirmed the helicopter evacuation. The group had travelled to the Dho area in Ward No. 8 of Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality, roughly 300 km northwest of Kathmandu.

Dolpa Chief District Officer Junu Dhakal said heavy snow covered the area. Police said the visitors became trapped at the Numla and Wagla passes while returning from Shey Phoksundo Lake following snowfall on Saturday, October 31.

An army helicopter had attempted to reach them on Sunday. Bad weather prevented it from landing, forcing the rescue effort to be halted before Monday's successful evacuation.

The Nepal tourist rescue followed warnings against travel in the area. According to the reports, local authorities had told the visitors that heavy snowfall made the journey unsafe, while residents also advised against entering the mountainous region.

The District Administration Office said the tourists had entered Upper Dolpa without the required administrative permits, according to reports. That account concerns the circumstances of their journey; police confirmed that all six had subsequently been rescued.

Shey Phoksundo Lake is Nepal's deepest lake, situated at an altitude of 3,600 metres with an estimated depth of 145 metres.

The region has seen earlier snow-related rescues. In October 2025, 15 trekkers, including three British women, were evacuated from Mustang's Hidden Valley. Two Nepali tourists were also rescued near the Mustang-Dolpa border in November last year.

Also read: Sardar Patel honoured by Modi at Statue of Unity | Indian-American voters courted through dosas, Diwali and temple visits