96 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims evacuated: Nepal sources

At least 96 Indian pilgrims, undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, were evacuated on Wednesday.

According to sources in Nepal, at least 73 Indian pilgrims were evacuated to Surkhet district by flight while a chopper used for 23 others. If the weather remains conducive, the evacuation process will be completed in two to three days.

Meanwhile, the pilgrims who are in Tibet, still remain there and are safe. They will be brought back after the evacuation process in Nepal is completed.

At least 104 Indian pilgrims were evacuated to Simikot from Hilsa, yesterday.

A pilgrim from Andhra Pradesh and another one from Kerala, died in Nepal when they were returning from the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage.

The Indian Embassy in Nepal issued a list of hotline numbers for the pilgrims stranded in Nepal and their family members. A number of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims are stranded in parts of Nepal following heavy downpour.

The helpline numbers are as follows: 9851107006,9851155007,9851107021, 9818832398. Hotline to contact language speaking staff: Kannada- 9823672371, Telugu- 9808082292, Tamil- 9808500642, Malayalam- 9808500644.

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu is monitoring the situation along Nepalganj-Simikot-Hilsa route of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (through Nepal).

Thousands of Indian pilgrims take part in the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra every year via Nepal in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China ahead of the monsoon season.

The tour is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs each year between June and September in cooperation with the government of People's Republic of China through two different routes - Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).