Bodies of two Indian tourists, missing for three weeks, found in Manang

A severe snowstorm hit Nepal in October.

Security officials have confirmed that the bodies of two Indian tourists who went missing on October 20 have been found in Nepal’s Manang district. After weeks of searching, security forces found the bodies of Indian tourists buried in the snow, who had been missing for about three weeks. According to the Armed Police Force (APF), the deceased have been identified as 52-year-old Jignesh Kumar Lallubhai Patel and 17-year-old Priyansa Kumari Patel. It was stated that the dead were father and daughter.

APF DSP Shailendra Thapa said: “The rescue team had been searching for the missing duo for weeks. On November 9, a mountain rescue team led by APF Deputy Inspector Hira Bahadur GC found their bodies buried under snow, about 100 meters above the monastery.” According to security personnel, the two said they would leave Gyalzen Hotel in Ngisyang Rural Municipality-4 on October 20 and visit Maleripa Monastery in Ward No. 5. They had lost contact since then.

The hotel notified the APF’s Mountain Rescue Training Center in Manang, which launched a search operation after losing contact. Thapa added that the process of removing the bodies from the area is expected to be completed tomorrow. A severe snowstorm hit Nepal in October. Security forces rescued more than 1,500 tourists who were stranded in Manang district alone due to heavy snowfall and adverse weather conditions. The father-daughter duo was lost before the Montha influence hit Nepal’s Himalayas. Yet another weather pattern brought heavy snowfall in the higher elevations in October. Due to adverse weather conditions, all trekking routes in Nepal were closed for more than a week and blockades were reported in many tourist destinations.

(With inputs from news agency ANI).