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The government continues the rescue efforts meant for Indian pilgrims left stranded at Simikot and Hilsa due to torrential rains while returning from Kailash Mansarovor (Lake) in Tibet.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has said all mechanism including helicopters have been operated to rescue the Indian pilgrims stranded in the mountainous region. Adverse weather condition earlier for a couple of days had its impact on the rescue operations. Rescue works via helicopters are going on effectively since Tuesday, as said by the Ministry.

Adverse weather had disrupted air flights on July 1 and 2, hampering the works to bring stranded pilgrims back to the destination. According to Ministry Spokesperson, Ghanshyam Upadhyay, 553 pilgrims are currently at Simikot and 300 are at Hilsa. If weather favours, all stranded pilgrims are likely to be rescued by tomorrow.

The local administration, Nepal Army, Nepal Police are jointly working to rescue them via helicopters of Tara, Simrik and Summit Airlines.

Earlier, three (Indian) pilgrims died of high-altitude sickness at the Kailash Mansarovar while four died while returning from the site, the Ministry said. Last year, the death toll (of Indian Mansarovar pilgrims) due to high-altitude sickness was 21.

Stranded pilgrims are staying in hotels and no problem is reported in food and accommodation facilities for them.
Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari on Tuesday tweeted that 160 stranded pilgrims were airlifted to Nepalgunj.

In his tweet addressed to Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, Minister Adhikari wrote that helicopters transported 250 pilgrims to Simikot from Hilsa, adding that rescue operations would continue.
Around 1,600 Indian Kailash Mansarovar pilgrims are reported stranded at Simikot Airport and Hilsa along the Nepal-Tibet border in Humla due to torrential monsoon rains.

As stated by Krishna Gautam, information officer for Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) office in Nepalgunj, works of airlifting Indian pilgrims from Simikot and Hilsa to Nepalgunj are underway since yesterday.
Summit, Sita and Tara Airlines are operating 10-12 flights per day to bring Indian pilgrims from Humla to Nepalgunj, Banke. A flight can accommodate up to fourteen people.

Banke Chief District Officer Ramesh Kumar KC said around 150 Indians were brought from Simikot to Nepalgunj and proper arrangements are in place for their food and accommodations. Pilgrims are requested to contact with the local administration, police or related travel agency in case of any discomfort.

As stated by him, there seems no problem to send rescued pilgrims to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj airport.

The Thai football teammates stranded more than a week in a partly flooded cave said they were healthy on a video released Wednesday, as heavy rains forecast for later this week could complicate plans to safely extract them.

The 12 boys and their coach are seen sitting with Thai navy SEALs in the dark cave with their visibly skinny faces illuminated by the beam of a flashlight. The boys, many wrapped in foil warming blankets, take turns introducing themselves, folding their hands together in a traditional greeting and saying their names and that they are healthy.

The video lasting about a minute was recorded sometime Tuesday and was posted on the navy SEAL Facebook page Wednesday morning.

The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach disappeared after they went exploring in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Chiang Rai province after a football game June 23. The teammates, who were trapped inside when heavy rains flooded the cave, were found by rescue divers late Monday night during a desperate search that drew assistance from experts around the globe.

Authorities said the boys, who had also been shown Tuesday in a video shot by the British diver who discovered them, were being looked after by seven members of the Thai navy SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave. They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks.

In both of the videos the boys have appeared in good spirits.

SEAL commander Rear Adm. Arpakorn Yookongkaew said there was no rush to bring the group out of the cave, since they’re safe where they are. The current flooding situation means the boys would have to dive, which rescue experts have said could be extremely dangerous.

While efforts to pump out floodwaters are continuing, some Thai officials have indicated that heavy rains forecast for this weekend could force them to decide the boys should swim and dive out using the same complicated route through which their rescuers entered.