ACAP Manang chief Dhak Bahadur Bhujel said that they were not in contact with the hotel, had not returned to the lower area, and there was no record of them passing Thorangla and heading towards Mustang.
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Two Indian tourists who were visiting Upper Manang have been missing for about two weeks. Indian nationals Jignesh Kumar Lalubhai Patel, 52, and his daughter Priyanshi Kumari Jigs Kumar J Patel, 17, have gone missing.
It appears that they entered the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Area Conservation Office, Manang on Kartik 30. After that, they stayed at a hotel (Gyalchen and Sister Lodge and Restaurant) in Upper Manang and went to Melarepa (4,100 m.) with a week's worth of food, but they did not return.
ACAP Manang Chief Dhak Bahadur Bhujel said that they were not in contact with the hotel, did not return to the lower area, and there is no record of them passing Thorangla and heading towards Mustang. 'As per the hotel owner, it seems that they took 7-8 days' worth of food. They have also left some belongings at the hotel,' he said, 'They had also come last year. They came this time too, but they are not in contact. The search is on.'
The Manang administration has said that the search is underway after information was received that they had gone to Melarepa Cave, which takes about 2 hours from Bhraka, Ngisyang Rural Municipality-5, Manang. Chief District Officer Nawaraj Paudyal said that Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, ACAP and locals have been mobilized to search for them.
There was heavy snowfall in Upper Manang around Kartik 11-12. ‘Information has been received that they used to visit in the past years and had to be rescued during snowfall. Now, they have not been found even after searching in the Melarepa area and the hills above it,’ he said.
According to DSP Hira Bahadur GC of the Armed Police Force Mountain Rescue Training School, Humde, Manang, they have not been found even after searching up to the hill above Melarepa (4,500 m). He said that it was not possible to go there because of the heavy snow on it. ‘We were informed only by the police that it was not possible. Even after searching in possible places, they were not found,’ he said.
According to DSP Hari Poudel, Chief of the District Police Office, Manang, Bauchori, who claims to be from Gujarat, India, had stayed at the Galsen Hotel in Upper Manang, Ngisyang-4, Manang on the morning of Kartik 3 and left for Melarepa on the 4th, saying that he was going to Melarepa. The hotel owner informed the Area Police Office, Humde, on Kartik 16 that they were out of contact.
After receiving the information, a team led by ASI Amar Bahadur KC returned to Chorten Gumba after searching due to snow. After some improvement in the weather, they reached Melarepa Gumba on the 17th and could not go due to heavy snowfall on the hill above and searched around the monastery. On the 18th, they could not go to search due to bad weather and on the 19th, as soon as the weather improved, a 7-member police team, including 5 people from the Mountain Rescue Training School and 2 people from the Area Police Office, Humde, reached the hill above Melarepa Gumba. DSP Poudel said that the team returned after searching but could not find him. According to him, the police were unable to go due to thick snow on the mountain.
