Stranded Kailash pilgrims evacuated

New Delhi: Hundreds of Indian pilgrims on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to Tibet (China) who have been stranded at high-altitude areas in Nepal due to bad weather, have been evacuated, the MEA said on Thursday even as it issued an advisory for pilgrims planning to undertake the yatra through Nepal, saying there were “high chances” of getting stranded in various legs of the journey in case of bad weather.

Those pilgrims who are going for the yatra through Nepal, are those that have gone for the pilgrimage through private travel agencies and not under the MEA-organised pilgrimage, which is through either Uttarakhand or Sikkim. Meanwhile, the MEA said, as many as 53 flights and 142 chopper sorties have so far evacuated pilgrims to safety as part of a “massive exercise” by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

“In the last three days, 883 pilgrims were evacuated from Simikot to Surkhet and also from Simikhot to Nepalganj. ... 675 pilgrims were evacuated from Hilsa to Simikot. (Also) 53 civilian flights were operated to get the pilgrims out and 142 copter sorties were carried out,” the MEA said, adding that the situation was “fast returning to normal” and about 50 pilgrims were in Surkhet, while 560 were in Simikot.

The MEA advisory said, “In wake of recent inclement weather along Nepalganj-Simikot-Hilsa route of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (through Nepal) and consequent stranding of pilgrims for over a week’s time, ... It should be noted that Simikot and Hilsa in Nepal are extremely infrastructure lean.”