23 pilgrims stranded in Tibet after bridge collapse

MUMBAI: A group of 23 Indian pilgrims—I5 from Mumbai and the rest from Dubai—returning from an eight-day, private tour of Kailash Mansarovar are stranded in Gyirong county, Tibet, after a key bridge connecting the autonomous region with Nepal collapsed early Tuesday due to a landslide triggered by floods.

- Aditi Shekar and Rezaul H Laskar

‘Some of the stranded pilgrims HT spoke to said the collapsed Miteri Bridge was effectively their only route back to Kathmandu, as flight operators were charging over 23.6 lakh per person for taking an alternative route via Lhasa, as opposed to the standard rate of 740,000.

People familiar with the developments said the Indian emassy in Nepal has taken up the matter with Nepalese authorities to facilitate the speedy return of the group, which had gone for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Nepal through a private tour operator. “Since the group had gone via Nepal, it has to return via Nepal. The group is currently stuck in Tibet because the landslide cut off a road,” one of the people cited above said.

The group of 23 Indian nationals from Mumbai and Dubai, including family members and friends, landed in Kathmandu on June 26 for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. They undertook a private tour after failing to get slots for the pilgrimage organised by the Indian government. The external affairs ministry chose 750 people for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through a computerised draw in May. In addition to these pilgrims, many other Indians travel to Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in Tibet via Nepal with private operators.