Private airlines operators and Nepal Army chopper airlifted 1009 tourists to Kathmandu from Lukla, Surke and Lamidanda. [break]
While private operators conducted many flights, Mi-17 chopper of NA could conduct only one flight. “We couldn´t continue the operation as we detected technical problems,” NA Spokesperson Ramindra Chhetri said.
Trekking Agents Association Nepal (TAAN) President Mahendra Singh Thapa expressed disappointment with Nepal Army for pulling out of the rescue operation early on.
“We (trekking entrepreneurs) couldn´t get assistance from Nepal Army as we had expected,” he said, adding that if the NA´s Mi-17 was in operation throughout the day all the stranded people could have been brought to Kathmandu.
According to Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN), Tara Air carried 435 tourists, Agni Air 255 and Sita Air 90. Shreekant Baral of AOAN said that most of those rescued were foreigners, while others were Nepali nationals.
The NA´s Mi-17 chopper brought 28 tourists and a Nepali national to Kathmandu from Lukla, while NA´s Skytruck carried 30 tourists and two Nepalis in two flights from Lamidanda, Khotang, where tourists were left behind by privately operated choppers on Sunday.
Now, the number of tourists stranded in Lukla is estimated to be around 700 to 1,000.
TAAN officials believed the number of Nepalis still stranded in Lukla to be around 1,000 to 1,500.
“If the weather continues to be like today, we are hopeful to complete the rescue operation by tomorrow,” Thapa added.
Meanwhile, NA Spokesperson Chhetri has informed that the Army´s Mi-17 was still under maintenance. “But Skytruck (17-seater chopper) has been scheduled to operate rescue flights tomorrow,” he told Republica.
Private helicopters operated in full strength throughout the day making nearly three dozen flights. Moutain, Fisthail, Simrik and Air Dynasty choppers carried 64, 41, 53 and 10 passengers respectively to the capital. Air Dynasty choppers also airlifted 15 tourists to Lamidanda from Surke. Around 400 tourists were airlifted to Kathmandu on Sunday.
More than 2,000 tourists and 1,500 Nepalis were stuck in Lukla for more than a week after regular flights couldn´t operate because of adverse weather conditions. Majority of trekkers stranded in Lukla are Americans and Europeans.
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