Nepal Urges Tourists to Postpone High-Altitude Trekking Due to Extreme Weather

　　Affected by extreme weather, the District Administration Office of Kaski, Gandaki Province, Nepal issued a notice on the 4th, urging tourists to postpone trekking to high-altitude areas in the Himalayas for the time being.

　　In recent days, Nepal has been experiencing continuous heavy rainfall across the country. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology warned that from October 4th to 6th, many areas would experience heavy rain, and high-altitude areas might see snowfall, posing serious risks to trekking and mountaineering tourists. Therefore, officials in Kaski District have called on tourists from all countries to suspend their plans to visit world-renowned trekking routes within its jurisdiction, such as the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail Peak).

　　The Nepal Tourism Board issued a statement on the same day, stating that there are currently about twenty thousand foreign tourists in the country. As it is the Dashain festival holiday and the autumn mountaineering season, many domestic and international tourists are currently engaged in trekking and mountaineering activities in high-altitude areas. The Tourism Board urged local governments and tourism practitioners to enhance tourist safety and support. It also called on the public to do their best to provide basic assistance such as food and accommodation when encountering foreign tourists, maintain a friendly attitude, and avoid price gouging.

　　The heavy rain on that day also led to the cancellation of all domestic flights at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport, with several international flights forced to divert to India, Bangladesh, and other locations. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs of Nepal's caretaker government announced on the 4th that the public holiday for the Dashain festival, originally scheduled to end on October 4th, has been extended until October 6th. (End)