KATHMANDU: Pilgrims traveling to Kailash Mansarovar have been left stranded after the Nepal-China Miteri Bridge was swept away by floods in the Lhende River on Tuesday morning, according to the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN).
TAAN General Secretary Sonam Gyaljen Sherpa said the collapse of the bridge has severely disrupted the movement of both Nepali and foreign pilgrims traveling via road from Rasuwagadhi to the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
TAAN has urged the Chinese government to take immediate diplomatic steps to facilitate alternative travel routes through Tatopani, Korola, Hilsa, and other border checkpoints.
The organization stressed that hundreds of pilgrims and tourists have been left in limbo due to the sudden halt in access to Tibet via Rasuwagadhi.
TAAN President Sagar Pandey also called on the Government of Nepal to ease the process of issuing passports to pilgrims at the start of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage season.
He urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu to streamline the visa process, making it faster and more traveler-friendly.
Comment