Two Spanish tourists go missing during Annapurna trek

KATHMANDU: Two Spanish tourists have gone missing while trekking in the popular Ghorepani route of the Annapurna Circuit.

According to Bharatman Gurung, spokesperson for Annapurna Rural Municipality, the tourists—identified as Erick Casanovas (male) and Molas Junka Mesi (female)—lost contact on Sunday while en route from Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani in Annapurna Rural Municipality-9, Kaski district.

The tourists’ two backpacks were found abandoned near the Bhurungdi Khola bridge on Sunday evening, raising concerns about their safety. Despite a day-long search on Monday, their whereabouts remain unknown. It is suspected that the tourists might have been swept away by the Bhurungdi Khola.

“There is a possibility that they were swept away while taking an old trail. They had registered their names at the ACAP check post in Birethanti, stating that they were heading towards Ghorepani,” said spokesperson Gurung. Yam Bahadur Gurung, the chief of the ACAP Birethanti check post, confirmed that the tourists had registered their names at the office on Sunday morning. He added that the tourists might have fallen into the river while taking photos near a waterfall after leaving their backpacks on the trail.

Spokesperson Gurung further explained, “There is a beautiful waterfall near the spot where the tourists’ backpacks were found. It is possible that they fell into the river while taking pictures there. During the search operation, two trekking poles were found near the waterfall, but no other clues have been discovered yet.” He also mentioned that a team of divers will be deployed on Tuesday to search the river. The embassy has been notified about the missing tourists.