Floods and landslides damage Annapurna trekking route, tourists urged to stay alert

Continuous rainfall over the past few days has triggered severe floods and landslides in the Kumrung Khola and Modi River areas of Annapurna Rural Municipality wards 10 and 11 in Kaski district.

According to the Gandaki chapter of the Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN), the floods have caused significant damage to the suspension bridge crossing Ghurjung, the main trekking trail leading to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), and the Syauli Bazaar area.

Two hotels at Banthanti in Ghandruk have also been damaged by the floods and landslides. TAAN Gandaki said that tourists, guides, and porters in the affected areas have been placed in a difficult situation due to the disaster.

Expressing sympathy to the affected hotel operators, TAAN Gandaki has urged the government and concerned authorities to immediately restore the damaged infrastructure and reopen the trekking trail. The association stressed that the safety of residents and tourists must take priority over tourism operations and the deployment of guides and porters during the current emergency.

TAAN Gandaki has also appealed to tourism entrepreneurs, trekking guides, and trekkers not to proceed into high-risk areas and instead use alternative routes to return to safety as soon as possible.

The association has instructed all guides and porters working in the field to remain in regular contact with the TAAN Secretariat or their respective trekking agencies. In the event of any emergency, they have been urged to coordinate with local authorities, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), and the Tourism Police to ensure their safety.

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