A 23-year-old Chinese tourist, Bella, who went missing during a trek to Mardi Himal in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality-9, Kaski, has been safely rescued after two days. After taking the wrong route, Bella disappeared on Ashwin 22 (October 8) while trekking from High Camp towards Mardi Base Camp.
According to Haribahadur Chhetri, the ward chairman of Machhapuchhre-9, Bella was staying at Hotel Namaste at High Camp the night before she went missing. A team of residents, tourist police, tourism entrepreneurs, local representatives, and buffalo herders initiated a search operation after receiving news of her disappearance.
Despite efforts by buffalo herder Prasad Poudel and hotel staff, the search on Wednesday and Thursday was hampered due to the challenging terrain, including dense thorny bushes and nettles. The search resumed early today with a larger team, including tourist police.
“We found signs of the missing tourist after noticing shoe prints and marks along the trail below Mardi’s spring at Kolange. We called out loudly, and when we heard cries in response from near the riverbank below, we were able to locate her,” said Chairman Kshetri.
The search team successfully rescued Bella from the riverbank area and handed her over to the tourist police, who transported her to Siding village for further assistance. Despite the difficult conditions, Bella was found in good health.
The rescue operation showcases the collaborative efforts of local authorities, tourism workers, and the community to ensure the safety of tourists in the Mardi Himal region.
Source: RSS
