NE NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU, JAN 19
Four South Koreans and three Nepali nationals are missing and about 200 people have been rescued after an avalanche hit trekkers on Annapurna, one of the highest mountains in the Himalayas, officials said Saturday.
The incident occurred at an altitude of about 3,230 metres (10,600 feet) close to Annapurna base camp following heavy snowfall on Friday.
Six of the missing are from one trekking expedition while one Nepali porter is from a different group.
About 200 people have been rescued from the avalanche-hit zone as well as other trekking routes after the weather eased to let helicopters fly in.
Sandesh Pandey of Jangbogo Tour Nepal, which helped organise the trek, said the four were part of an 11-member team from South Korea.
“They were descending yesterday after heavy snowfall stopped them from going higher. The remaining five from the team are moving down safely. The other two did not go up in the trek,” Pandey said. Annapurna is avalanche-prone and technically difficult with a higher death rate than Everest, the world’s highest peak.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said an emergency team would be sent to Nepal and that the families of those missing had been informed. Courtesy: AFP
