Upper Mustang completely isolated after landslides; hundreds of tourists stranded
Continuous rainfall has caused multiple landslides between Kagbeni and Chhusang road sections, disconnecting Upper Mustang from the rest of Nepal for the second day in a row and cutting electricity and internet access as authorities work to restore connections.
PC: Nepal Police
Communication and road links in Upper Mustang remained severed for the second consecutive day on Sunday following massive landslides between Kagbeni and Chhusang, leaving hundreds of tourists stranded and their families increasingly anxious, officials said.
Heavy snowfall and continuous rainfall since Wednesday have disrupted road, electricity, and internet services, isolating the region and stranding more than 550 tourists and over 150 vehicles, according to local authorities.
The Jomsom–Korala road section, a national pride project connecting Mustang to the Chinese border, has been blocked at several points by landslides and flash floods triggered by three days of incessant rain.
“More than half a dozen major landslides have occurred between Kagbeni and Chhusang, completely cutting off Upper Mustang since Friday,” said Mustang Assistant Chief District Officer Nanda Ram Pariyar. “This is an unprecedented weather event in a district that typically lies in a rain shadow zone. The damage appears to be less than expected, given Mustang’s fragile.”
Snowfall and rain have knocked out electricity and internet services from Chhusang upwards, while road and communication links to Lomanthang, Chhusang, and Damodarkunda have been down. Families of those stranded have been unable to establish contact for days.
Pariyar assured that all tourists are safe. “There are enough hotels and houses to accommodate visitors in Chhusang,” he said.
Officials said a surge of domestic tourists traveled to Mustang right after the Tihar festivals, disregarding weather warnings. Over 40,000 tourists entered the district within ten days following Tihar.
Mustang, once a remote trekking paradise, now has improved road access that allows vehicles to reach Lomanthang and even up to the Korala border point.
Almost all stranded individuals are domestic tourists, while several foreign trekkers trapped in higher elevations of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri Circuits have already been rescued.
Authorities reported that 14 trekkers on the Saribung Pass trail—which connects Mustang and Manang—reestablished contact after being out of communication for three days. Another group of 15 trekkers, including three British nationals, was rescued from Batase Danda, after being stranded in snowstorms for three days in the Hidden Valley.
Security personnel have been deployed to clear debris and reopen roads, while officials are considering an alternative route along the Kaligandaki River.
Pariyar cautioned that clearance could take several days due to the scale of the landslides.
Authorities have yet to determine the full extent of the damage.
