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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Nepal blizzards: Rescue teams reach Thorung La pass | Nepal blizzards: Rescue teams reach Thorung La pass |
| (about 3 hours 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. | 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 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 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. | Nepalese, Israeli, Canadian, Indian, Slovak and Polish trekkers are among those who perished. |
| Officials say the death toll is likely to rise further, with many bodies still to be recovered from the snow. | Officials say the death toll is likely to rise further, with many bodies still to be recovered from the snow. |
| More than 200 people were rescued from the route on Thursday. | More than 200 people were rescued from the route on Thursday. |
| 'Stuck in snow' | 'Stuck in snow' |
| Three of those rescued on Friday at the Thorung La pass are in a critical condition and are being treated at a health facility in Mustang. | Three of those rescued on Friday at the Thorung La pass 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. | 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. | He said he saw people falling into deep crevasses, unable to get out. |
| At the scene - Navin Singh Khadka, Pokhara | At the scene - Navin Singh Khadka, Pokhara |
| Helicopters have been flying in and out of this major tourist hub as search and rescue operations continue in the nearby Annapurna region | Helicopters have been flying in and out of this major tourist hub as search and rescue operations continue in the nearby Annapurna region |
| Some injured trekkers have been admitted to local hospitals from the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges. | Some injured trekkers have been admitted to local hospitals from the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges. |
| Kumar Tamang, a trekking guide who survived avalanches near a pass between Mustang and Dolpa districts on Monday, said he and three others in his group were lucky to be alive. | Kumar Tamang, a trekking guide who survived avalanches near a pass between Mustang and Dolpa districts on Monday, said he and three others in his group were lucky to be alive. |
| "There were two avalanches within an hour," he told the BBC from his hospital bed. | "There were two avalanches within an hour," he told the BBC from his hospital bed. |
| "We all managed to survive the first one and took shelter inside a tent... When the second one hit, we all were buried under the snow and only four of us managed to get out." | "We all managed to survive the first one and took shelter inside a tent... When the second one hit, we all were buried under the snow and only four of us managed to get out." |
| Nepal blizzards: Trekkers' survival guide | |
| 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." |
| What is the Annapurna Circuit? | What is the Annapurna Circuit? |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. |