11 tourists rescued from Tilicho Base Camp

Kathmandu, Nov.1: Eleven domestic tourists who had been stranded at Tilicho Base Camp for five days due to heavy snowfall and incessant rain have been rescued.

 Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Shailendra Thapa, Joint Spokesperson of the Armed Police said that a mountain rescue team deployed from the Mountain Rescue Training School (MRTS) of the Armed Police Force successfully rescued them.

Among the rescued tourists, one had a leg injury, one was a nine-year-old child, one was a sick woman, and the rest were in generally stable condition. All are said to have low oxygen levels.

The rescue operation was conducted over a difficult nine-hour journey along a narrow, steep path covered with two feet of snow.

Under the command of SP Top Bahadur Dangi, the medical and mountain rescue team from the training school used specialized mountain rescue gear and equipment to complete this high-risk operation successfully.

The condition of the tourists is normal and they have been shifted to a safe place. The ‘High Altitude Search and Rescue’ training was conducted for the first time this fiscal year at the said institute.

During this training, 39 instructors and trainees from the Mountain Rescue Training School successfully climbed Chulu Far East (6,038 meters) in the last week of the month of October.

This has enhanced the mountain rescue capabilities of the Armed Police Force and enabled it to play a more effective role in such incidents in the future.

The Armed Police Force will continue such training and exercises for the safety of tourists in the high Himalayan regions.

The Armed Police Force has had the experience of highlighting the importance of preparedness in Nepal's tourism sector to deal with seasonal risks as incidents like these in the Himalayan region.