Kathmandu
Monday, December 8, 2025
The rescue team comprising security personnel has not yet been able to reach the avalanche site for the search and rescue of those missing in the avalanche due to snowfall causing a thick pile-up of snow in the area.
Although a week has elapsed since the avalanche occurred in which three men went missing, security personnel could not reach the site as the area is covered with a layer of over 10-feet thick snow.
Also, the bad weather is impeding the search and rescue operation making it difficult for the security officials to identify the way to reach the site. According to DSP Mahesh Basnet of the District Police Office, Mugu, the security team has set up a camp at Chhapakhola near the incident site to ease the search operation.
Missing in the avalanche that occurred on May 5 were Tarasingh Sarki, Punna Sarki and Bir Bohora of Patarashi rural municipality-2 of Talfigaun in Jumla district, according to the police.
A team of 23 people including rescuers and two relatives of the missing people were taken to the avalanche site on May 7 on a chopper of Nepali Army for search and rescue, but the bad weather coupled with snowfall in the incident site has been hampering the rescue operation, DSP Basnet said.
Among those gone for rescue operation, the relatives of two missing people have returned, police said. Those who had gone missing were members of a group of people who had gone to the highlands to collect the valuable herb yarsagumba.
Search for those missing in the avalanche at Chyankhulek in Karmarod rural municipality of Mugu was getting tougher due to the thick pile-up of snow.
The search operation has not taken stride due to snow. The area has been covered with over 10-feet thick snow.
Tara Singh Sarki, 40, Punna Sarki, 35, and Bir Bohora, 35, of Patarasi rural municipality-2, Talfi village went missing in an avalanche at Chyankhulek on May 5 while they were on the way to pick up Yarsa.
The search for the missing has been intensified since last Tuesday but it has become tougher to find the missing due to dense snow, DSP Mohan Bahadur Basnet informed.
A team of 23 security personnel and rescuers were taken to the avalanche site on May 7 through a chopper of Nepal Army for search and rescue.
The security team has set up a camp at Chhapakhola near the incident site to ease the search operation. The security personnel have not yet been able to reach the incident site.
DSP Basnet said the team would continue with their efforts today for the search and rescue. Snowfall is continuing in the area so it has become difficult to reach the site, he said.
A squad of security personnel was heading to the incident site this morning to search for those who disappeared in an avalanche at Chyarkhulek.
Acting DSP at the District Police Office, Sudarshan Panthee informed that the Nepal Army’s helicopter carrying 20 persons, including security personnel, rescuers and relatives of the missing, was heading to the avalanche site.
Though a group of police personnel from the Area Police Post, Mugu headed to the avalanche site on May 5, it has not yet reached the destination, Acting DSP Panthee said.
He further informed it had been difficult for the police team to reach the site in lack of logistic goods. “It needs to pass through a snow-capped and high hill area to reach the site which is time taking and difficult”, he added.
The Ministry of Home Affairs sent a rescuers’ team on helicopter as it was time-taking for security personnel to reach the site through the surface route.
As many as 15 locals of Patarasi rural municipality-2, Talfigaun of Jumla had bound Patan for Yarsa picking through illegal routes. Tara Singh Sarki, Punna Sarki and Bir Bohora had disappeared in the avalanche that took place at 1.00 pm on May 5 while they were ascending to Patan.
