Bulgarian tourists in Tibet organized for repatriation

A group of 15 Bulgarian tourists currently in Tibet is being organized for repatriation following a major natural disaster in the region. The group, led by tour operator Preslav Konov, was located approximately 500 kilometers away from the immediate disaster zone in Darchen at the time of the incident on August 26, and there is no reported panic among the travelers.

Due to severe infrastructure damage, including destroyed bridges and roads caused by a sudden water surge, the original plan to return via the Tibet-Nepal border is no longer viable. Local and Chinese authorities have advised against using land borders between Tibet and Nepal.

The revised evacuation plan involves traveling by land from Mount Kailash to the Everest North Base Camp, then to Lhasa. From Lhasa, the group is expected to fly to Kathmandu on September 1, before continuing their journey back to Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic missions in Beijing and Delhi are coordinating the logistics of the return.