Taplejung, Nov. 5 -- Eastern Nepal has seen clear skies since Sunday, with sunlight glinting off the Himalayan peaks and paddy ripening in the lower valleys. But the route to Tibet through the Tipthala border point in Taplejung remains shut after last week's heavy snowfall, cutting off movement across the border and leaving travellers stranded.

The travellers, who had set out between October 21 and 29 for various purposes, have been forced to stop midway as thick snow has blocked the route. Among them are six Nepalis who had gone to Tibet for work and five women from Yangma in ward 7 of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality who were heading to their maternal homes in Riu, Dinggye County, on the Tibetan side. They have been stuck in Olangchungo...