Avalanche on Nepal's Yalung Ri mountain kills 7 including foreign climbers amid snowstorms; search operation on
Nepal's weather has worsened, leading to snowstorms in the mountains and a rescue helicopter's failure to reach an avalanche site on Mount Yalung Ri, where five foreign climbers and two guides were killed, and five others were injured.
An avalanche struck a camp on Mount Yalung Ri in Nepal on Monday, killing five foreign climbers and two Nepali guides, officials said.
According to Armed Police Force spokesperson Shailendra Thapa, five others were injured at the base camp, situated at an altitude of 4,900 meters (16,070 feet), AP reported.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the nationalities and identities of the foreign climbers.
The weather in Nepal has been deteriorating since last week, with snowstorms reported on the mountains.
Rescuers were reaching the site on foot. A rescue helicopter attempted to reach the site, but bad weather forced it to turn back.
Four injured climbers were evacuated to a nearby village, and a search for the missing climbers, including by helicopter, was continuing, police official Gyan Kumar Mahato told Reuters.
“We have also dispatched ground search-and-rescue teams from the army and police and are awaiting (developments).”
Mount Yalung Ri
Mount Yalung Ri, standing at 5,600 meters (18,370 feet), is considered an ideal mountain for beginners with little to no experience in high-altitude climbing.
Nepal, which boasts eight of the world's 14 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, sees most climbing activity in the spring season, when conditions are most favourable.
However, during the autumn months, between the monsoon rains and the onset of winter, hundreds of foreign climbers visit the country to scale its smaller peaks.
Earlier in April, the Nepal government proposed a law to grant permits to climb the world's highest mountain only to those who have previously scaled at least one 7,000-metre peak within the country.
Everest has faced mounting issues, including pollution and dangerous bottlenecks, due to permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to attempt to scale the 8,849-metre (29,032 ft) peak.
On 18 April, the Nepalese government proposed the Integrated Tourism Bill in the upper house of Parliament, which aims to ensure that climbers have adequate high-altitude experience to handle the challenges of Everest climbing.
According to the proposed law, climbers will be required to submit a certificate of climbing at least one peak above 7,000 meters in Nepal before applying for an Everest permit.
An avalanche happens when a large mass of snow, ice, and sometimes rocks suddenly slides down a mountainside. This usually occurs when the balance of the snowpack (layers of accumulated snow) is disturbed.
Follow these steps if you witness someone else caught in an avalance:
Keep your eyes on the person so you can note their last visible spot.
Wait until the snow stops moving before entering the slide area, as it's too dangerous during the flow.
Begin searching immediately, using avalanche beacons or probes if available.
Call for rescue as soon as possible; time is critical, as most survivors are found within the first 15 minutes.
(With inputs from AP)