Seven tourists from Odisha have been evacuated from central Nepal after heavy rainfall caused the Trishuli River to surge dramatically, stranding visitors near a temple site, while rescue teams continue searching for five members of the same group who remain unaccounted for, according to an Indian government official with direct knowledge of the operations.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said it was coordinating closely with Nepali police and local authorities on both the ongoing evacuation and the search effort. The tourists had been traveling in the region when monsoon-related rainfall sent water levels in the Trishuli River rising sharply, cutting off access routes and leaving the group in distress near a religious site that draws visitors throughout the year.
Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had issued advisories warning of heightened flood risk across several river basins during the current monsoon period, a season that runs from June through September and regularly tests the country’s emergency response capacity. Officials said the Trishuli River, one of the major waterways in central Nepal fed by Himalayan tributaries, can experience rapid surges in water level with little warning, particularly during periods of intense localized rainfall.
The search for the five missing tourists was being led by Nepali security personnel operating in difficult terrain, with support from local volunteers. Authorities did not immediately disclose the names, ages, or identities of those still missing, citing ongoing efforts to locate the individuals and notify their families. The rescued tourists were described as being in stable condition, though officials declined to provide further details about their state of health or their precise location at the time of rescue.
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu issued a statement urging any Indian nationals traveling in flood-prone areas of Nepal to monitor weather advisories and maintain contact with local authorities. The mission said it was in direct communication with the families of those affected and was working to ensure consular access once the missing individuals were located.
The incident comes as Nepal grapples with the annual challenges of its monsoon season, which causes flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage across the Himalayan nation each year. According to Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism, the country welcomed more than 1.2 million international visitors in the most recent full year for which data was available, with the Annapurna and Langtang regions—areas traversed by rivers including the Trishuli—among the most frequently visited trekking corridors. The Trishuli River valley, which lies along popular routes connecting Kathmandu to the hill districts of Nuwakot and Dhading, is a known vulnerability point during periods of heavy rain, when road access can be severed and river crossings made impassable or dangerous.
Tourism represents one of Nepal’s most significant economic contributors, and the government has historically moved to protect visitor safety during the monsoon months, though infrastructure limitations and the sheer scale of seasonal flooding strain response capabilities. Rescue operations in mountain and river terrain require coordination among Nepal Police, the Nepal Army, and local government bodies, and access can be complicated by washed-out roads, bridge damage, and continued rainfall.
India’s consular machinery activates in such situations under bilateral agreements governing emergency assistance to nationals abroad. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu maintains a 24-hour consular hotline and has previously handled evacuation scenarios involving Indian travelers in Nepal during natural disasters, including the 2015 earthquake and recurring seasonal flooding events.
What remains unclear at this stage is the precise timeline of the incident—whether the tourists had entered the area despite official warnings, or whether conditions deteriorated faster than anticipated. Officials have not indicated whether the group had registered with any travel agency or notified authorities of their itinerary, details that could affect how quickly rescue teams were able to locate the missing individuals. The involvement of Nepali local authorities in identifying the distressed group suggests that some notification was made, but the official account did not elaborate on who first reported the emergency.
The meteorological situation in central Nepal was described by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology as active but within the range of typical monsoon behavior, with no extraordinary alerts issued specifically for the Trishuli basin at the time of the incident. However, officials noted that localized weather patterns in Himalayan river valleys can diverge sharply from broader regional forecasts, and that river conditions can change within minutes.
As rescue teams continue their search, attention is expected to turn to whether Nepal’s tourism infrastructure and emergency protocols are adequate for the volume of visitors that traverse river valleys during the monsoon season. The disappearance of five individuals for an extended period will likely intensify scrutiny of how information flows between local communities, travel operators, and government agencies when emergencies occur in remote areas.
The Indian Embassy said it would provide further updates as the search progressed. Nepali authorities have not yet scheduled a public briefing on the operation, and the families of the missing tourists have not made independent public statements.
Sources:
Hindustan Times
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Story synopsis gathered from: Hindustan Times – India News — source
