Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: 400 stranded Indian pilgrims evacuated safely, says MEA

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Thursday said more than four hundred Indian pilgrims, who were stranded in a remote mountain region in Nepal due to bad weather while returning from Kailash Mansarovar, have been evacuates and brought to Surkhet and Nepalgunj, and added that there are no bottlenecks on this route as of now.

"Our first secretary from the Indian embassy in Katmandu visited Simikot and Hilsa and coordinated with the Nepalese authorities. More than 400 hundred stranded Yatries have already being brought to Surkhet and Nepalgunj. As of now there are no bottlenecks on this route," Swarup said in a press conference.

Swarup also said that the Ministry of Tourism has been requested to advise all the tour operators in India not to overbook and to correctly brief pilgrims on the facilities available.

"However, in view of the inclement weather, which has been forecasted, our mission in Katmandu has issued a travel advisories to the Indian Yatris to avoid the Nepal route," he added.

The Indian government has issued a travel advisory to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrims to avoid Nepalgunj-Simikot-Hilsa route through Nepal for the next few weeks.

The Indian Embassy alerted its citizens about the inclement weather conditions after nearly 500 people were stranded in Nepal due to bad weather.

"Since weather conditions are expected to deteriorate in the weeks to come, Indian citizens are advised to avoid the route," said the advisory notice.

The embassy said that it has been making all possible efforts in cooperation with the Nepal government and tour operators for timely evacuation of pilgrims from Hilsa to Simikot and from Simikot to Nepalgunj.

"However, inclement weather conditions are impeding regular air services, thereby causing difficulties for the stranded persons at Hilsa and Simikot," read the notice.

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