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| Blizzard and Avalanche Kill at Least 20 Trekkers in Himalayas | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| KATMANDU, Nepal — A blizzard and avalanche in Nepal’s Himalayas climbing region have killed at least 20 people, nearly half of them foreigners, in the midst of the October trekking season, district officials said Wednesday. | |
| Dozens were reported missing and feared buried under snow and avalanche debris in the so-called Annapurna Circuit of central Nepal, a favored destination among mountaineer adventurers. | Dozens were reported missing and feared buried under snow and avalanche debris in the so-called Annapurna Circuit of central Nepal, a favored destination among mountaineer adventurers. |
| The death toll eclipsed the last major mountaineering disaster in Nepal’s Himalayas, when 16 Sherpa guides died in an avalanche six months ago on Mount Everest, the worst climbing calamity in Everest’s history. | The death toll eclipsed the last major mountaineering disaster in Nepal’s Himalayas, when 16 Sherpa guides died in an avalanche six months ago on Mount Everest, the worst climbing calamity in Everest’s history. |
| It was believed that as many as 200 trekkers were caught by the latest weather, a freakish storm that began bearing down on the Annapurna region of the Himalayas on Tuesday, part of the aftermath of a cyclone that ravaged India’s eastern coast two days earlier. | It was believed that as many as 200 trekkers were caught by the latest weather, a freakish storm that began bearing down on the Annapurna region of the Himalayas on Tuesday, part of the aftermath of a cyclone that ravaged India’s eastern coast two days earlier. |
| Fearing the worst, friends and relatives of missing climbers reached out to each other via Facebook and Twitter. A Facebook page titled “Annapurna Nepal Avalanche and Blizzard Info Share” became a virtual bulletin board. “Our hearts and minds are on Annapurna, Nepal,” read the caption on a photo of snow-capped Annapurna, the world’s 10th highest peak. | |
| While 22 people were rescued on Wednesday, heavy accumulations of snow — more than two feet in some areas — forced the Nepali Army and the police to suspend further rescue actions until Thursday. | While 22 people were rescued on Wednesday, heavy accumulations of snow — more than two feet in some areas — forced the Nepali Army and the police to suspend further rescue actions until Thursday. |
| The army, guided by rescued trekkers, recovered 12 bodies near Thorong La, a pass along a popular trekking circuit, according to the Mustang chief district officer, Baburam Bhandari. The dead included two Israeli tourists and two Poles, as well as eight Nepali trekkers who were trapped in a blizzard. | The army, guided by rescued trekkers, recovered 12 bodies near Thorong La, a pass along a popular trekking circuit, according to the Mustang chief district officer, Baburam Bhandari. The dead included two Israeli tourists and two Poles, as well as eight Nepali trekkers who were trapped in a blizzard. |
| In Manang district, four Canadians and one Indian trekker were buried in an avalanche along the mountain pass. Their bodies will take days to dig out of the snow, said Devendra Lamichhane, the chief district officer in Manang. | In Manang district, four Canadians and one Indian trekker were buried in an avalanche along the mountain pass. Their bodies will take days to dig out of the snow, said Devendra Lamichhane, the chief district officer in Manang. |
| Basant B. Hamal, the secretary general of the Himalayan Rescue Association Nepal, a nonprofit group that promotes safe mountaineering, said there might have been up to 200 trekkers making their way Tuesday afternoon from the peak of Thorong La, which is at nearly 18,000 feet, to the Muktinath temple, at about 12,000 feet, when the storm hit. | Basant B. Hamal, the secretary general of the Himalayan Rescue Association Nepal, a nonprofit group that promotes safe mountaineering, said there might have been up to 200 trekkers making their way Tuesday afternoon from the peak of Thorong La, which is at nearly 18,000 feet, to the Muktinath temple, at about 12,000 feet, when the storm hit. |
| Some trekkers were able to scramble down to safety at a tea stall nearby. Many were injured in the descent, while others were unable to escape the storm. | Some trekkers were able to scramble down to safety at a tea stall nearby. Many were injured in the descent, while others were unable to escape the storm. |
| Mr. Hamal said that the communication lines were down in much of the region because of the weather, but that he had managed to contact the temple on Tuesday, and was told that many trekkers had been arriving there with broken bones. | Mr. Hamal said that the communication lines were down in much of the region because of the weather, but that he had managed to contact the temple on Tuesday, and was told that many trekkers had been arriving there with broken bones. |
| In the same district, the bodies of three yak herders who disappeared on Monday, swept away in a separate avalanche, were located, but rescuers were unable to recover them on Wednesday. | In the same district, the bodies of three yak herders who disappeared on Monday, swept away in a separate avalanche, were located, but rescuers were unable to recover them on Wednesday. |
| October is one of the most popular trekking months in Nepal, when thousands often visit because the weather is usually ideal for hiking. | October is one of the most popular trekking months in Nepal, when thousands often visit because the weather is usually ideal for hiking. |
| Mountaineering tourism is one of the most important economic drivers for Nepal. Travel and tourism supported more than half a million jobs in the country last year and generated $420 million in revenue, according to a report released in March by the London-based World Travel and Tourism Council. It said Nepal received nearly 800,000 tourists last year and had been expected to attract more than 860,000 this year. The Nepali government receives $3 million to $4 million annually just in trekking licenses. | Mountaineering tourism is one of the most important economic drivers for Nepal. Travel and tourism supported more than half a million jobs in the country last year and generated $420 million in revenue, according to a report released in March by the London-based World Travel and Tourism Council. It said Nepal received nearly 800,000 tourists last year and had been expected to attract more than 860,000 this year. The Nepali government receives $3 million to $4 million annually just in trekking licenses. |
| But the April disaster on Everest, the world’s highest mountain, was disastrous for tourism, as it led to threats by Sherpas to stop working. Many expeditions were canceled and tourists forfeited tens of thousands of dollars, with many expressing uncertainty about the viability of future treks. | But the April disaster on Everest, the world’s highest mountain, was disastrous for tourism, as it led to threats by Sherpas to stop working. Many expeditions were canceled and tourists forfeited tens of thousands of dollars, with many expressing uncertainty about the viability of future treks. |