Avalanche claims nine lives in the Himalayas

Published on 24/09/2012 02:19

An AVALANCHE hit climbers on a Himalayan peak in Nepal, leaving at least nine dead and six missing.

Police official Basanta Bahadur Kuwar said the bodies of a Nepalese guide and a German man were recovered and that rescue pilots had seen seven other bodies on the slopes of Mount Manaslu in northern Nepal, the world’s eighth-highest mountain.

Many of the climbers were French or German.

Ten others survived the avalanche but many were injured and were flown to hospitals by helicopters. Rescue pilot known only as Pasang said three injured French citizens and two Germans had been transported to hospitals in Katmandu.

He said rescuers were also
attempting to take the bodies of the dead back to the base camp.

Weather conditions were
deteriorating and it was not possible to continue air searches of the mountain yesterday afternoon, Mr Kuwar said.

The identities of the victims were still being confirmed.

The avalanche hit the climbers at a camp at 7,000 metres (22,960 feet) as they were
preparing to head toward the summit, which is 8,156 metres (26,760 feet) high.

It is currently the beginning of Nepal’s autumn mountaineering season.