KATHMANDU, Aug 21: Last year, 21 tourists died of altitude sickness in the Annapurna Conservation Area, a popular trekking destination in Gandaki province.

According to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), the dead include six Nepalese, eleven Indians, two Malaysians, one Ukrainian and one Briton.

Rabin Kadaria, head of the project, said that most cases of altitude sickness occurred in the Muktinath area of ​​Mustang. He stressed the importance of taking special precautions while trekking in the Himalayas as a rapid ascent can lead to altitude sickness.

In addition, three foreign tourists have died in falls while hiking. Among those who died in Kaski were Swedish and German tourists, and an American tourist died in Manang. The remains of the Swedish hiker who went missing during a trek to Mardi Himal were recently recovered. Kadaria advised: “For long-distance treks, it is safer to travel in groups or with a guide than alone.”

In the last financial year, 222,180 foreign tourists visited the Annapurna region, of which 117,845 were from Asian countries and 104,256 were from other regions. The peak in the number of visitors was in mid-March with 35,265 and the lowest in mid-July with 5,401 tourists. The number of tourists increased by 50,000 compared to the previous year.