About 160 trekkers, most of them from Europe, Australia, New Zealand, have been stranded across mountain regions in Nepal, including Everest, due to the lockdown authorities imposed to stem the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
THE COUNTRY HAS THREE CONFIRMED CASES
Nepal on Tuesday went under a seven-day lockdown, restricting movements to only essential services after health officials reported a second case of coronavirus in the country.
“Nearly 100 trekkers have been stranded in Lukla for the past few days. We are coordinating with the Home Ministry to obtain special permit to rescue them,” said Shradha Shrestha, an official of Nepal Tourism Board.
Lukla, which lies at an altitude of 2,800 meters (9,186 feet), is the gateway to Everest, the world’s highest mountain.
“We have received emails from many foreign tourists. Around 60 trekkers have been stranded in Jomsom [in north-central Nepal],” she said and added that 3-4 trekkers were waiting to be rescued from Langtang, a trekking route west of the capital Kathmandu.