January 14: The Metropolitan Police Range Lalitpur rescued 16 adolescents who lost their way in course of trekking in Phulchowki area this weekend. According to Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), the rescued children were handed over to their guardians.

The state-run news agency reported that the missing adolescents include 12 boys and four girls. Their family sources said that the siblings who went there en masse for trekking on Saturday had lost their way in the forest.

Police launched search and rescue operation acting on the information that the adolescents went missing in the Phulchowki forest at around 4.00 pm Saturday, said Shekhar Khanal, cpokesperson of the Range.

Seven teams including police personnel were mobilized for the search operation.

The adolescents were rescued from a gorge in the middle of the forest which lies 10-km away from Godavari Bus Park.

“We handed the siblings to their parents on Saturday night,” he Khanal.

There has been a huge flow of youths to Phulchowki, especially in the winter season, for trekking.

Of late, the numerous incidents of disappearance of trekkers have been reported in the forest area of the high hill, which lies in the south-eastern part of the Kathmandu valley.

Last year too, John Tamang, a school student, lost his way and was rescued from the forest after a week of his disappearance.