SOLUKHUMBU, Nov 1: Tourists have been stranded in Lukla and Namche Bazaar after flights to and from the Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest, are suspended for the past three days due to adverse weather conditions.
Continuous rain, overcast skies, and dense fog have led to very poor visibility, forcing the closure of the airport.
According to Nawaraj Katuwal, Air Traffic Controller (ATC) at Lukla, flights have not been able to operate since Thursday due to continuous rain. Although an average of 60 flights operated daily during this season, all have been suspended now. “Visibility is low due to the rain, and not only planes but also helicopter flights have not been able to operate.”
690 tourists stranded in Kathmandu and Manthali due to bad weat...
As a result of the suspension of flights, hotels from Lukla to Namche Bazaar are full of tourists. Tourists who were preparing to return after visiting the Khumbu region are stuck in Lukla. Hotels and guesthouses in Lukla are currently full of tourists.
According to Amrit Magar, in-charge of Tara Airlines Lukla, about 1,500 tourists who booked tickets with the airline are stranded in Lukla.
Local resident Toyakumar Shrestha said that the hotel had to accommodate tourists in the lobby. Julie Marie, a tourist from France, said that they were waiting for a flight. “We returned to Lukla three days ago after reaching the Everest Base Camp, but there is no flight in sight.”
Not only in Lukla, but hotels in Namche Bazaar are also full of tourists. Lama Kaji Sherpa, chairman of the Everest Pollution Control Committee, said that about 1,200 tourists are stuck in Namche alone. “Currently, the hotels in Namche are at 100 percent occupancy.”
According to Tek Rai, who has reached Namche, there has been no sun in Namche for four days.
After air flights were suspended, some tourists are trying to return to Kathmandu by land from Lukla via Salleri. But the road is not easy. According to tourism entrepreneur Bal Darnal, due to the rain, traffic has been disrupted by landslides at various places on the Solukhumbu–Kathmandu road section.
Meanwhile, meteorologist Saroj Pudasaini at the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Kathmandu said there is still a possibility of heavy rain and snowfall. “There is a possibility of rain in the mountainous and hilly areas, including Koshi Province, for another two to three days, after which the weather is expected to gradually clear.”
