Sherchan risks his life to rescue stranded travellers

By Harikrishna Sharma,Mustang, Sept. 16: After a dry landslide blocked the Beni-Jomsom-Korala road section, Indra Singh Sherchan of Mustang carried around 150 stranded travellers across the obstruction on his back.

Sherchan, who is often seen on the frontline whenever the road is blocked, risked his life to help pilgrims returning from Kagbeni during Shora Shraddha and Indian visitors heading to Muktinath, from children to the elderly.

Even as rocks kept falling, Sherchan carried people across, surprising everyone present. The 55-year-old from Nauri Kot in Thasang Rural Municipality-2 said he has narrowly escaped death many times in his 17 years of clearing roads and rescuing travellers.

“A landslide or falling rocks feel like death brushing past me. But I feel joy when rescuing stranded travellers. Helping Indian tourists on risky paths also sends a good message,” Sherchan said.

Sherchan has carried out rescues at midnight, rushed to save seriously ill patients and even risked being caught in landslides himself. So far, he estimates he has carried more than 5,000 travellers to safety. Many still remember him on social media for these efforts.

He starts work early in the morning, often going hungry until midnight, surviving on food given by travellers on the road. Beyond natural disasters, he also shelters stranded visitors for free at his hotel until they can continue their journey, said Shanta Bahadur Nepali, principal of Gyan Prakash Secondary School in Dana located at Annapurna Rural Municipality-3, Myagdi.

“He is known as a companion in times of disaster. Words cannot fully describe his dedication to serving travellers at the risk of his own life,” Nepali added.

For his tireless work, Sherchan has been honoured more than 50 times, including with national decorations on Constitution Day, and by Gandaki Province, Nepal Jaycees and various organisations.

In addition to road rescues, he has taken part in search operations for trekkers, porters and tourists who lost their lives in the Dhaulagiri and Annapurna mountains. Government authorities in Mustang have also recognised him as a “protector of the road” and invited him to speak at public events.