Dozens of Israeli hikers have been stranded since last night in Samagaon, a remote mountain village at an altitude of about 3,500 meters in Nepal’s Manaslu region, after heavy rain and landslides blocked roads and damaged bridges.
The hikers are without electricity and have limited options for leaving the area. Rescue efforts are underway, but insurance companies and local travel agencies have so far been unable to arrange an evacuation for everyone. Some of the hikers reportedly require urgent medical assistance.
“Every few hours we hear a huge boom, as if the whole ground is collapsing," one Israeli hiker said. According to him, dozens of Israelis are sheltering in the village alongside foreign trekkers and local residents. Several landslides occurred near homes where they were staying overnight.
Nepal-based media have also reported severe conditions in the area. Everest Chronicle said a landslide struck above Samagaon at around 3 a.m. after days of continuous rain, startling hundreds of hikers, climbers and trekking crews. People left their rooms and sought safer locations. No injuries had been reported in the village as of the morning.
The latest landslide follows several days of worsening weather in the Manaslu region. OnlineKhabar reported last week that heavy rain and snowfall had forced climbers to retreat, with local authorities saying that about five feet of snow had accumulated in the area. Kantipur likewise reported that climbers who had reached Camp 3 were forced to turn back toward Samagaon.
The severe weather is affecting large parts of Nepal, where heavy rains have triggered landslides and flooding, blocked roads and washed away bridges. At least six people have been killed and five remain missing in separate incidents across the country.
In neighboring India, at least 15 people were reportedly killed and five injured over the past two days in Uttar Pradesh, amid extensive property damage.
As of the morning, no injuries had been reported in Samagaon. But with roads and bridges around the village still impassable, the dozens of Israelis remain stranded and waiting for a safe way out.