KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30 Continuous rainfall since Sunday has brought heavy snowfall to upper Manang and flooding to lower areas, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded along the Annapurna Circuit trekking route and disrupting travel across the district. According to Dhak Bahadur Bhujel, chief of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) unit in Manang, tourists who had already reached upper Manang have been unable to continue their journeys, while visitors staying in lower Manang have also been stranded due to road and trail disruptions. Several trekkers attempting to cross the Thorong La Pass were forced to turn back after heavy snowfall made the high-altitude route unsafe. 'Registration records show 226 foreign tourists reached upper Manang, while 44 have returned,' Bhujel said. He added that more than 150 tourists who had crossed or attempted to cross Thorong La returned to Manang as weather conditions deteriorated. Despite the disruption, officials said all stranded tourists are safe. Authorities have arranged helicopter evacuations for visitors who need to leave because of illness, medical emergencies or visa-related concerns. Trekkers who had already crossed Thorong La have also been allowed to continue, as helicopter evacuation remains possible from the Mustang side. According to Bhupendra Gurung, tourism education assistant at ACAP, 590 foreign tourists were registered at the Dharapani checkpoint between Sept. 22 and 28. Of those, 146 have already returned due to continuous rainfall, floods and landslides. 'The tourists who reached upper Manang remain there, while those below Chame are staying here,' Gurung said. 'There is no way to travel back as the road track has been washed away by the Marsyangdi River.' Flood-induced erosion has destroyed sections of road at multiple locations along the route, severing land connections and making movement difficult for both tourists and local residents. Officials said transportation of construction equipment and recovery materials has also been hampered by road damage, delaying restoration efforts.