Three British tourists from central hilly district of Ramechhap have been rescued on Sunday where they had been stranded for the last few days.

They were rescued by a mission comprising officials from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and British embassy in Kathmandu, the NHRC said in a statement.

Those evacuated include Ms. Julie, who had been taken ill seriously, and her colleagues Claire and Dominic. Julie is now undergoing treatment at a private clinic in Kathmandu.

A 20-member British tourist group had left for Ramechhap from Kathmandu on Oct. 4 supported by trekking staff and porters. The team sent SOS calls to Kathmandu after two of its women members were ill, according to the statement.

NHRC had to step in after private sector airlines refused to send their chopper, fearing that the anti-government guerrillas of Nepal could target the chopper, the statement added.

The guerrillas had set fire on a private chopper a few years back alleging it of ferrying security personnel in remote parts of the country. But not a single tourist has been harmed in the nine-year-long guerrillas insurgency.

(Xinhua News Agency October 10, 2005)