Heavy Khumbu snowfall halts trekkers, seven foreign tourists rescued

Snow has begun falling in the upper reaches of the Khumbu region of Solukhumbu after a spell of continuous rain, disrupting the movement of trekkers and climbers, Ratopati English reported. Chief District Officer Kamansingh Thapa Magar said reports indicated more than half a metre of snow in some high areas. "Heavy snowfall is occurring in the upper region," the Chief District Officer said, adding that tourists were being moved to safety together with the local level, residents and the police. Seven foreign tourists who were stranded in the Imja Tse area, better known as Island Peak, have been rescued. According to Thapa Magar, the group could not move because of the snow and was taken to a safe place with help from local representatives and residents. Tourists heading for trekking and climbing routes in the upper areas have been stopped from continuing towards risky locations. Island Peak, known locally as Imja Tse, lies inside Sagarmatha National Park at an altitude of approximately 6,165 metres. The Nepal Tourism Board describes the route from Dingboche through the Imja Khola valley to Chukung, which links to the main trail to the Sagarmatha Base Camp area, and notes that weather in the region changes quickly because of its high Himalayan terrain. The administration says over one thousand two hundred tourists are currently in the Sagarmatha region and that it is receiving regular updates on their condition through the local level, the police and other bodies. Ward Chairman Laxman Adhikari of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-4 said the rural municipality has issued a notice asking tourists and trekkers to take care and not to climb higher in risky conditions. The rural municipality says snow is falling in high areas including Thukla, Thorokshep and Gokyo, and has asked guides, porters, trekkers and climbers to set out only after checking the weather. Thapa Magar said the local level, the police, the administration and residents are coordinating with the District Disaster Management Committee for rescue and security should the snowfall increase, and the administration has urged people to avoid unnecessary travel to high areas until the weather normalises.