Dozens of Israelis Trapped in Remote Nepal Village by Landslides

Dozens of Israeli hikers are stranded and cut off in the remote village of Samagaun, located at an altitude of approximately 3,500 meters in Nepal's popular Manaslu trekking region. Extreme weather, including heavy rains, has triggered dangerous rock and mudslides that have completely blocked all access roads to and from the isolated village.

The trapped Israelis, along with foreign trekkers and local residents, are experiencing frightening conditions. Electricity has been cut off, and massive landslides have occurred very close to their shelters. One hiker described hearing "huge booms every few hours, as if the whole earth is collapsing." Fortunately, as of the morning, no casualties were reported within the village itself.

Evacuation options are severely limited. Many key roads and bridges in the area have been washed away or are impassable, making any overland escape impossible. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that extreme weather is affecting Nepal, causing road blockages and travel disruptions. The Israeli embassy in Nepal is in contact with local tour companies and guides, working to locate Israelis who haven't yet been reached and to provide assistance where possible to move them to safer areas, depending on terrain conditions.

The isolation of Samagaun is part of a larger regional disaster caused by severe rainfall. In Nepal, the floods and landslides have claimed at least six lives and left five people missing across the country. Neighboring India's Uttar Pradesh region has reported at least 15 deaths and five injuries, along with significant property and infrastructure damage.

This event highlights a growing trend of extreme weather phenomena in the Himalayan region. Earlier in August, devastating floods in Nepal killed over 1,300 people after a massive glacier collapse caused flash floods. Similar warnings about flash floods due to melting glaciers and unstable glacial lakes have been issued in Pakistan and Canada.