Kathmandu, Nov 4, (dpa/GNA) – Seven climbers were killed, after being hit by an avalanche on Mount Yalung Ri in eastern Nepal on Monday morning.
Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, a mountain guide with Dreamersā Destination Treks & Expedition who took part in the rescue operation on the 5,630-meter mountain in eastern Nepal, told dpa in Kathmandu on Tuesday that all five foreign climbers, including two Italians and one climber each from France, Germany and Canada, were dead.
The Kathmandu Post reported that two Nepalese climbers were also killed. Several Nepali mountain guides and porters remain missing.
The victims were part of a group of 15 mountaineers, caught in the avalanche on Monday morning while attempting to reach the summit. The expedition had been organized by several different tour operators.
Search operations have been hampered by poor weather and low visibility. Police officers and soldiers have been deployed to assist with the search.
Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres, including Mount Everest. Yalung Ri lies in a section of the Himalayas known as the Rolwaling Himal, and is considered a relatively beginner-friendly mountain for climbers.
GNA