Nepal: Hundreds Of Tourists Stranded As Lukla Airport Shuts Down For Third Day Due To Heavy Rain And Fog

Nepal weather update: Hundreds of tourists were left stranded as adverse weather led to the suspension of flights for the third straight day at Lukla airport in the Everest region of Nepal, officials said Saturday.

It has been raining continuously with cloudy skies and fog leading to very poor visibility in and around the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, the gateway to Mt Everest and other peaks of the region.

Flights have not been able to operate since Thursday due to continuous rain and low visibility, said Assistant Chief District Officer of Solukhumbu district, Surendra Thapa. Tourists, who had returned to Lukla after trekking to the Everest base camp three days ago, are not finding any flights to return to Kathmandu, said officials.

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During this tourist season, dozens of flights operated daily, but all have been suspended now, Thapa said. Hotels in and around Lukla and nearby Namche Bazaar are full of visitors as tourists who were preparing to return after visiting the Khumbu region are stuck in Lukla.

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Amrit Magar, in charge of Tara Airlines Lukla, said that around 1,500 tourists who booked tickets from the airline are stranded in Lukla. According to officials at the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Kathmandu, there is no stop to heavy rain and snowfall any soon. “There is a possibility of rain in the mountainous and hilly areas, including in Koshi Province, for the next couple of days,” the officials added.