KATHMANDU — Search and rescue operations are scrambling across central Nepal after torrential monsoon rains triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides, leaving more than 100 Indian pilgrims unaccounted for.
The pilgrims, primarily traveling toward the sacred Muktinath temple, were caught in the deluge late Thursday as mountain passes turned into rivers of mud and debris. Local authorities confirmed that major arterial roads connecting the border regions to the Himalayas have been severed, isolating thousands of travelers in remote transit hubs.
“We are dealing with a logistical nightmare,” a senior official at the District Administration Office in Mustang told reporters. “Communication lines are down, and the terrain is currently too unstable for heavy machinery to clear the paths.”
The flooding struck during peak pilgrimage season, a time when thousands of devotees from across India traverse the challenging mountain routes. The sudden nature of the cloudbursts caught many groups in transit. While government helicopters have been deployed, low-hanging clouds and relentless rain have grounded flights for hours at a time, delaying the extraction of those stranded in higher altitudes.
For the families of the missing, the silence is agonizing. Many of the pilgrims are elderly, traveling in organized groups that lost contact with their tour operators nearly 30 hours ago. Search teams, bolstered by local volunteers and military units, are currently trekking on foot to reach the last known locations of these groups.
Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has warned that the monsoon cycle this year is behaving erratically. The shift in weather patterns has pushed rainfall totals 20% higher than the seasonal average, turning routine mountain treks into life-threatening endeavors.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has established a dedicated hotline, though officials admit that until the roads are cleared and cellular towers are restored, information remains fragmented.
As the rain continues to lash the region, the window for a successful rescue operation is closing. With weather forecasts predicting another 48 hours of heavy precipitation, the focus remains on survival rather than recovery.
