Two Israeli siblings airlifted from Nepal village after storm causes landslides, flooding

Israeli siblings Maya Lamdan, 27, and Nadav Lamdan, 21, were rescued by helicopter on Sunday from the village of Samagaun in Nepal's Manaslu trekking region after hours of anxiety, power outages, and landslides around the village.

The siblings, from Tzur Hadassah, were evacuated to Kathmandu. Their sister, Roni Lamdan, who traveled with them to Nepal, did not take part in the trek and was not in the village when the incident occurred.

Maya told Walla that she and her brother had gone traveling after completing combat military service.

"Already after a few days of being stuck in the village, we saw that a rain system was approaching, and we stayed there so that we would be somewhere safe rather than continuing the trek. But the last 24 hours were far beyond what we expected."

According to Maya, the travelers spent about 12 hours without electricity or heating as temperatures fell below freezing.

"Toward the evening, the rain continued to intensify. At 3:00 a.m., when we were already asleep, someone knocked on the door of our room. We heard a very loud noise and were told to go up to the roof because a flood was coming."

Only in the morning did they learn it wasn't a flood, but two nearby landslides.

"All the locals started running from the village toward the hills with headlamps. There was real panic, if you can even call them streets. We waited on the roof and tried to understand what was happening. It was dark, and it wasn't clear how close it was. Throughout the day, there were another three or four smaller landslides. We were literally surrounded by this event 360 degrees," she said.

At least 10 additional Israelis were in village during storm

Five Israelis were in the group traveling with Maya, and she said that at least 10 other Israelis were staying in the village at the time.

Maya, her brother, and their friends were evacuated by PassportCard helicopter to Kathmandu and were undergoing examinations at a hospital.

"At least physically, we're all healthy and safe. Mentally, it will take us a little time to recover. There was an insane sense of helplessness and anxiety that hit some of the people, especially at night," she said.

Lamdan said she knew of other Israelis who remained in the area and had been told that they were also being assisted.

"We were split up during the rescue, but they told us that everyone would be rescued by Monday," she said.

PassportCard's emergency operations center said it had been assisting dozens of Israeli travelers in Nepal in recent hours following severe weather and heavy rainfall.

According to the company, 17 of its insured travelers were in the Annapurna region, 17 in the Manaslu region, including Samagaun, four in the Tsum Valley, and two in the Everest region.

Four of the insured travelers required medical attention and were expected to be evacuated for treatment as soon as weather conditions allowed. The company stressed that none were in life-threatening condition and that their families were in regular contact with the emergency operations center.

The severe weather has severely restricted movement across large parts of Nepal, with many roads blocked and trekking suspended. According to current forecasts, the rain was expected to gradually weaken on Sunday and Monday, although a return to normal conditions in the area could take several days.

Clal rescue teams operating to evacuate insured Israeli travelers

Clal Insurance and Finance said its rescue teams, operating through its rescue company Magen Search and Rescue, were working in the field to evacuate insured Israeli travelers who had encountered extreme weather in Nepal and required assistance.

Clal Insurance and Finance said it was aware of 10 travelers insured by the company. Three had been evacuated to Kathmandu, while seven others were being rescued and were also expected to be transferred to Kathmandu and Pokhara.

"Clal Insurance and Finance is working together with all its rescue teams in Nepal to assist all insured travelers who require rescue. We are in contact with all relevant parties to ensure that the incident ends safely and that all our insured travelers are rescued and transferred to a safe location," said Dror Zasler, deputy CEO and head of claims.