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| Nepal blizzards: Rescue teams reach Thorung La pass | Nepal blizzards: Rescue teams reach Thorung La pass |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Search teams in Nepal have rescued 40 trekkers from the highest point of the Annapurna circuit, after a deadly storm hit the popular Himalayan route. | Search teams in Nepal have rescued 40 trekkers from the highest point of the Annapurna circuit, after a deadly storm hit the popular Himalayan route. |
| Officials told the BBC good weather meant troops and helicopters reached the Thorung La Pass for the first time. | Officials told the BBC good weather meant troops and helicopters reached the Thorung La Pass for the first time. |
| At least 29 people are known to have died in the disaster, which is on course to be the worst single trekking and climbing disaster Nepal has seen. | At least 29 people are known to have died in the disaster, which is on course to be the worst single trekking and climbing disaster Nepal has seen. |
| Many of the dead are thought to have left the pass to try to flee the storm. | |
| They are believed to have left the shelter there and tried to descend, but instead got lost and froze out in the open. The bad weather hit a resting place 4,500m (14,800ft) above sea level, not far below the Thorung La pass. | They are believed to have left the shelter there and tried to descend, but instead got lost and froze out in the open. The bad weather hit a resting place 4,500m (14,800ft) above sea level, not far below the Thorung La pass. |
| Nepalese, Israeli, Canadian, Indian, Slovak and Polish trekkers are among those who perished. Officials say the death toll is likely to rise even further, with many bodies still to be recovered from the snow. More than 200 people were rescued from the route on Thursday. | |
| 'Stuck in snow' | 'Stuck in snow' |
| On Friday, rescuers reached the Thorung La pass, the highest point of the popular Annapurna Circuit route for the first time. They brought at least 40 people in the area to safety, officials told BBC Nepali. | On Friday, rescuers reached the Thorung La pass, the highest point of the popular Annapurna Circuit route for the first time. They brought at least 40 people in the area to safety, officials told BBC Nepali. |
| Three of those rescued are in a critical condition and are being treated at a health facility in Mustang. | Three of those rescued are in a critical condition and are being treated at a health facility in Mustang. |
| One survivor rescued on Thursday told BBC Nepali of the horror of seeing corpses on the journey back after the blizzard struck. He said he saw people falling into deep crevasses, unable to get out. | |
| Another survivor, Linor Kajan, described her fear as she was caught in an avalanche. | Another survivor, Linor Kajan, described her fear as she was caught in an avalanche. |
| "I was sure I was going to die. I was stuck in snow." | "I was sure I was going to die. I was stuck in snow." |
| She said she was unable to move until a Nepalese guide saw her and dragged her through the snow to safety. | She said she was unable to move until a Nepalese guide saw her and dragged her through the snow to safety. |
| This has been a particularly deadly year for Nepal's trekking and mountaineering industry, which brings in huge revenues to Nepal, one of the world's poorest countries. | |
| What is the Annapurna Circuit? | What is the Annapurna Circuit? |
| An avalanche on Mount Everest in April killed 16 Sherpa guides and resulted in a significant drop in the number of expeditions to the world's highest peak. | An avalanche on Mount Everest in April killed 16 Sherpa guides and resulted in a significant drop in the number of expeditions to the world's highest peak. |
| The latest disaster comes at the height of the trekking period. Thousands of tourists head to Nepal in October to enjoy its mountain passes and pristine beauty. But this unexpected heavy snowfall caught the trekkers off guard. | The latest disaster comes at the height of the trekking period. Thousands of tourists head to Nepal in October to enjoy its mountain passes and pristine beauty. But this unexpected heavy snowfall caught the trekkers off guard. |
| Nepal's high peaks attract some of the world's best climbers - but trekking is generally safe and appeals to masses of ordinary enthusiasts. | Nepal's high peaks attract some of the world's best climbers - but trekking is generally safe and appeals to masses of ordinary enthusiasts. |