6 of Dolpa village missing for 16 days
Those missing are Yam Budha (30), Rudra Budha (32), Ram Kumar Budha (24), Dirgha Budha (19), Kanchha Mahatara (22) and Dhirendra Budha (28), according to the District Police Office, Dolpa.
They had left home early in the morning on February 23, informing they were going to Rukum to meet relatives. They had left for Rukum via the Ruppatan mountain pass and have gone incommunicado since then, the family members said.
Most of the villagers believe that they might have been trapped in heavy snowfall and the chances of their survival are slim.
It had started to snow soon after they left, the villagers said.
According to relatives, the missing men have also not reached the homes of their relatives in Rukum.
It is said that up to eight to 10 feet snow has accumulated on the pass and the villagers are not in a condition to go there for rescue. The families of the missing men have urged the authorities concerned for the rescue.
No authorities have initiated rescue works although it has been 14 days since the men went missing.
Although relatives of the missing men say they had gone to meet their relatives in Rukum, people from neighbouring VDCs say they had gone to the higher reaches for wildlife hunting.