Six herders trapped in snow in Jumla make contact, rescue team heads to Patan

Six sheep herders from ward 8 of Chandannath Municipality, who had been out of contact due to heavy snowfall in the Patan area of Jumla, have made contact.

The herders had been cut off since Thursday night after continuous snowfall near Gairigum Patan, close to Gididah in Tatopani Rural Municipality-4.

On Friday afternoon, they called home to say they were safe, having taken shelter together under a single juniper tree.

In a call to his elder brother Bhairav Dharala, herder Birkha Dharala said the condition of around 500 sheep with them was still unknown. The herders, through relatives, have urged a swift rescue, saying the risk would increase and the cold intensify if more snow falls.

The Jumla District Police Office has dispatched a team toward Patan for the rescue. The eight-member team — seven security personnel and one municipal police officer — is being led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Kalibahadur Mahat. Two relatives of the herders have also gone along with the team.

The team stayed Friday night at Phulchaunlya Dharmashala and is set to head toward the herders' location on Saturday morning. The herders, who had gone to Patan with sheep last Jestha, had their planned return home delayed by the snowfall.