Key Takeaways:
- One trekker rescued by helicopter after being stranded by snowfall in Badimalika
- Search operation under way for missing 20-year-old Manish Bohara
- Heavy snowfall blocked return routes from the pilgrimage area
- Three other members of the trekking group returned safely
A 21-year-old trekker stranded by heavy snowfall in the Badimalika region was rescued by helicopter on Saturday, while authorities continued searching for another young man who went missing during the return journey from the high-altitude pilgrimage site.
Sagar Karki, 21, of Krishnapur Municipality-2 in Kanchanpur, was airlifted from Triveni Patan after spending days stranded in the area when snowfall blocked his route back from Badimalika Temple, located at an altitude of about 4,200 metres.
According to the District Administration Office, Karki had been staying at a pilgrims' shelter since Friday after adverse weather made travel impossible. He was flown to the district headquarters, Martadi, where officials said his condition was normal.
The focus has now shifted to the search for Manish Bohara, 20, of Bedkot Municipality, Kanchanpur, who went missing while returning from Badimalika.
Authorities have mobilised a helicopter carrying personnel from the Ishwaribaks Battalion of the Nepal Army based in Martadi to conduct search operations in the snow-affected area.
Karki and Bohara were part of a five-member group that left Martadi for Badimalika on October 25. The remaining three trekkers, who are from eastern Nepal, have returned safely.
The incident comes amid changing weather conditions in high-altitude areas, where recent snowfall has increased risks for trekkers and pilgrims travelling through remote mountain routes.