Recovery of Bodies of Indian Tourists in Nepal's Snowy Mountains

Post by : Raina Nasser

In a sorrowful conclusion to a prolonged search operation, Nepalese officials have discovered the remains of two Indian tourists who vanished in the snowy Manang district last month. The individuals have been named as 52-year-old Jignesh Kumar Lallubhai Patel and his 17-year-old daughter Priyansa Kumari Patel, who went missing while trekking in the Himalayas on October 20.

The Armed Police Force (APF) reported that a specialized mountain rescue unit, guided by Deputy Superintendent Hira Bahadur GC, found their bodies buried beneath several feet of snow, situated around 100 meters above the Maleripa Monastery in Ngisyang Rural Municipality.

“Our team worked diligently for weeks amid challenging weather conditions,” stated APF DSP Shailendra Thapa. “The bodies were rediscovered on November 9, and the recovery operation should wrap up today.”

The father and daughter had departed from Gyalzen Hotel in Ngisyang on October 20, notifying the hotel staff of their intended journey toward Maleripa Monastery in Ward No. 5. However, after they ceased communication, the hotel notified the APF’s Mountain Rescue Training Center in Manang, initiating a comprehensive search across the snowy landscape.

October experienced one of the most intense snowstorms in Nepal in recent memory, caused by successive weather systems. Although the Cyclone Montha impact occurred later in the month, a prior weather front had already induced significant snowfall, closing multiple trekking routes and leaving hundreds of tourists stranded in isolated areas.

Authorities reported the successful rescue of over 1,500 tourists from Manang alone after the storm. Unfortunately, the Patels disappeared before the cyclone's arrival, likely caught in the abrupt temperature plunge and precarious snow conditions.

Officials indicated that all trekking paths in the Himalayan region were temporarily shut down for more than a week due to unsafe weather and obstructed mountain trails.

The discovery of the Patels’ remains provides a measure of closure to a tragic situation that has affected both local authorities and the Indian embassy in Nepal. Initiatives are now being undertaken to ensure the safe retrieval and repatriation of the bodies to India once all necessary procedures are fulfilled.

This incident highlights once more the unpredictable hazards of high-altitude trekking in Nepal, particularly as winter approaches when sudden snowstorms can develop unexpectedly.