Rescue operations of stranded tourists in NE Nepal hampered

The rescue operations of more than 2,000 stranded tourists in Lukla, northeast of Nepal is being badly hampered due to adverse weather condition. The tourists have been stranded in the Tenzing- Hillary Airport in Lukla since Tuesday following sudden change in weather condition. The small airport which is located at an altitude of 2,860 meters is one of the busiest airports in Nepal as it is the gateway for tourists visiting Mount Everest (Mt. Qomolangma). Although the government of Nepal, the Nepal Army (NA), trekkers ' association and other rescue operators have been making severe efforts to rescue the tourists, the adverse weather condition is badly affecting the rescue operations. Talking to Xinhua, spokesperson of the Nepal Army Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri said that the NA chopper failed to fly towards the rescue destination owing to poor visibility caused by bad weather condition. "We have our flights on stand-by. As soon as the weather visibility improves, our teams are ready for rescue," Chhetri said. "One of our flight will head towards Lami Danda for rescue. The flight for Lukla is also on stand-by and we are opting for every possible measures to rescue the tourists," Chhetri said. The NA agreed on Saturday to use its MI-17 helicopter to rescue stranded foreign tourists in northeastern Nepal. The NA helicopter with 18 seats will leave for Lukla after the weather condition gets slightly improved. It will rescue the patients and the tourists who have to arrive in Kathmandu to catch their international flights in first priority, said Anjan Kumar Thapa, treasurer of the Trekking Association of Nepal. In January 2008, the airport was renamed in honor of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first persons to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. The surrounding terrain, thin air, highly changeable weather and the airport's short, sloping runway make it one of the most challenging landing strips in the world. Only small aircraft and choppers with limited seat capacity can make its way to the airport which is also hampering the rescue of such a large number of tourists.