1,500 Indians on Kailash Mansarovar Yatra stranded in Nepal landslides

Indian Embassy officials have reached Nepalganj and Simikot to help stranded pilgrims, especially the elderly, with medical assistance, food and lodging.

They have asked tour operators to limit pilgrims towards the Tibet side, since facilities on the Nepal side are inadequate.

They are now looking at alternative routes for evacuation, including by helicopter, but officials fear bad weather might hamper efforts. For this reason, evacuation by flight is unlikely too.

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra sees thousands of Indians, mostly Hindus, Jains and Buddhists, crossing the border to Tibet every year.

The tour is organized by the External Affairs Ministry during June-September in cooperation with China.

There are two approved routes- via Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).

Private players also organize tours, but not via these routes, the government's Yatra website claims.

Nepal saw at least seven rain-related deaths over the weekend, officials confirmed yesterday, with floods and landslides wreaking havoc.

Three major rivers have crossed the danger mark. People living nearby have been directed to shift to safer places.

Highways and major roads across the country are blocked, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.

Over 1,670 people have been killed in floods and landslides in Nepal in seven years.