48 foreigners evacuated from McLeodganj

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 31

As many as 48 foreign tourists from European countries, including Germany, France and Hungry, were today evacuated by their respective embassies from Dharamsala.

Most of these tourists had arrived in Dharamsala in the middle of March. They got struck in McLeodganj and its adjoining areas like Dharamkot and Bhagunag after lockdown was announced in the country and later curfew imposed in the state.

Sources here said that these foreign tourists, whose visas were expiring by the first week of April and they had flights booked for going back, made distress calls to their embassies. The embassy officials of France and Germany arrived at Dharamsala yesterday evening.

After taking necessary permission from authorities foreign tourists were brought to Dharamsala from McLeodganj in police vehicles. From Dharamsala they were sent back in vehicles arranged by embassies of France and Germany.

McLeodganj was sealed on March 23 after the death of a Tibetan who had come back from the USA. After March 23 entry into and exit from McLeodganj area was banned by authorities.

Foreigners during the curfew were helped by the local hoteliers who made their boarding and lodging arrangements.