March 27: One hundred and twenty-one tourists from 21 various countries who had been stranded in Mustang have been sent to Kathmandu while 68 more are awaiting their turn.    
These visitors had reached Mustang via the Round-Annapurna Trekking Route and were stranded following the enforcement of the lockdown against coronavirus pandemic by the government.    
The District Administration Office Mustang said these foreign tourists were rescued and sent to Kathmandu over three days. They were sent to Kathmandu via Pokhara by bus, said Chief District Officer, Ved Prasad Aryal. These tourists were from America, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Portugal, Great Britain, Ukraine, New Zealand, among other countries.    
CDO Aryal added that the health of the remaining 68 foreign tourists has been examined and they have been accommodated at hotels in Mustang.    
"All roads leading to Mustang have been shut as a preventive measure against COVID-19. But since the tourists who had come here through the Thorang-La pass via Manang were stuck after the enforcement of the shutdown, we rescued them and sent them to Kathmandu in coordination with the embassies of their countries concerned," he said.    
According to CDO Aryal, the remaining 68 foreign tourists would be kept in Mustang itself until further notice. -- RSS