Avalanche kills 4 trekkers in Nepal’s mountains

Kathmandu: An avalanche on a mountain pass in northern Nepal killed four trekkers from Poland, Israel and Nepal, officials said on Wednesday.

Nepalese army official Niranjan Shrestha said rescuers recovered the bodies, including two Poles, from the Thorong La pass, about 160 kilometres north-west of the capital, Kathmandu.

The avalanche hit the area on Tuesday, but with the area covered in 1-metre deep snowfall, it took army rescuers from nearby training camps several hours to get there. The rescuers managed to bring to safety to Jomsom town several other trekkers. Their numbers and nationalities weren’t immediately disclosed.

Officials reached by telephone in Jomsom could not say how many trekkers were still stranded by the avalanche because communication was poor.

The weather cleared up on Wednesday, allowing rescuers and trekkers to reach safer grounds, officials said.

Last week’s cyclone in neighbouring India has triggered rains and snow in Nepal’s northern mountains.

October is the most popular trekking season in Nepal, with thousands of foreigners on hiking trips around Nepal’s Himalayan mountain.

The Thorong La pass is also on the route that circles Mount Annapurna, the world’s tenth highest peak.

An avalanche in April just above the base camp on Mount Everest killed 16 Nepalese guides, the deadliest single disaster on the mountain. Climate experts say rising global temperatures have contributed to avalanches on the Himalayan mountains.