At least seven people, including five foreigners, have been killed in eastern Nepal after an avalanche swept through a camp on Mount Yalung Ri, according to media reports.
The Kathmandu Post, citing local officials, reported on Tuesday that the avalanche hit the team of 15 people as they were ascending the 5,630-metre (18,471-foot) mountain of Yalung Ri, and that four members of the expedition remain remaining.
“The avalanche buried everyone on the slope,” Deputy Superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato told the Kathmandu Post. “We got the information late, and the difficult weather delayed immediate response.”
Mahato said that three French climbers, one Canadian, one Italian and two Nepalis were killed in the incident.
Four Nepali climbers who were injured have been evacuated, while four others, also from Nepal, remain missing, the Kathmandu Post reported.
One of the injured climbers told the newspaper that the climbers had called for help but got no response for hours.
“We shouted and cried for help, but no one could reach us,” the unnamed climber said. “We were told that a helicopter would come after four hours, but by then, several of our friends were gone.”
Yalung Ri is located in the Rolwaling Valley of northeastern Nepal, and climbers there encounter a mix of rock, ice and snow.
Before Monday’s tragedy, the valley had experienced continuous snow and poor weather conditions for several days, according to the Kathmandu Post.
Mahato, the police officer, said helicopters could not be flown in the area due to heavy snowfall and clouds but an aircraft finally reached the area on Monday evening.
Source: AJ
