Fifteen Bulgarian tourists stranded near the border between Nepal and Tibet by a deadly glacial flood have safely landed at Vasil Levsky Airport in Sofia, according to reports. The group, which arrived on an Istanbul flight at 21:56 hours, narrowly avoided the catastrophe after passing through the affected region just three days before the disaster struck, according to expedition leader Daniel Dimov.
The Evacuation Through Lhasa and Kathmandu
The Bulgarian travelers were located roughly 500 kilometers away from the epicenter of the severe flooding, which destroyed local infrastructure and resulted in numerous fatalities. Because of the catastrophe, the original evacuation plan utilizing the overland border between Tibet and Nepal had to be abandoned. Instead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bulgarian diplomatic missions in Beijing and Delhi coordinated a complex extraction route taking the group through Lhasa and Kathmandu.
Reflections from the Expedition Leader
Speaking to BNT upon arrival, expedition leader Daniel Dimov described the shock the group felt upon reviewing online footage of the disaster zone. “We managed to pull away a few days before the huge tragedy that happened on the border between Nepal and Tibet,” Dimov told BNT, noting that the group had stood in the exact spot later blocked by authorities just days prior. Dimov emphasized that travelers must maintain composure during high-stress situations. “When you are the group leader, you don’t have much right to emotions. People naturally started to get scared of what they would do next. Naturally, I kept my composure completely. This also influenced the group, and overall we didn’t have many problems,” he added, noting that the experience left a profound sense of sympathy and sorrow for the human lives lost.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many Bulgarian tourists were stranded in the Nepal-Tibet region?
A group of 15 Bulgarian citizens was caught in the region affected by the severe flooding, according to BNT.
How did the group manage to return to Bulgaria?
Following the failure of the initial overland evacuation plan due to destroyed roads, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions in Beijing and Delhi organized an alternate route through Lhasa and Kathmandu, culminating in a flight from Istanbul to Sofia.
Where did the group land upon returning to Bulgaria?
The travelers landed at Vasil Levsky Airport in Sofia at 21:56 hours, as reported by BNT.
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