Kathmandu: Security personnel on Thursday rescued 72 trekkers, including 17 Indian tourists, who were stranded at Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal’s Myagdi due to continuous snowfall.

All the foreign tourists who reached the Annapuna Base camp were Indian nationals, according to Armed Police Force (APF) sources.

The tourists were stranded after heavy snow blocked trekking routes along the Dhaulagiri Circuit trail, known as the “Hidden Valley”, which connects Myagdi and Mustang districts, according to APF sources.

A rescue team was deployed from Mustang to assist those stuck in the mountain region.

They have been rescued from 4,190 metres and safely brought down to Annapurna Rural Municipality, the APF sources said.

The group was unable to return after heavy rain and snowfall since Monday night obstructed the trekking routes.

A rescue team consisting of Armed Police Force and Nepal Police personnel carried out the rescue operation with the help of local volunteers.

“The team cleared the snow-blocked trails and brought everyone to safety,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Lil Bahadur Bhujel.

Now they were staying in local lodges as snowfall and poor weather made their travel back home impossible. As soon as the weather becomes clear, they may return to Kathmandu and back to their home, a senior officer of APF said.

Although the weather became clear on Wednesday after continuous snowfall on Tuesday, snow began falling again on Thursday morning.

Chief District Officer of Myagdi Badri Prasad Tiwari said the local authority had restricted treks to Annapurna Base Camp until October 31 due to safety concerns from ongoing snowfall and possible risks.