Fierce mountain storms kill 9 in Nepal | USAEMALL.com

KATHMANDU: Days of ferocious snowstorms and an avalanche in Nepal’s treacherous Himalayan peaks have killed nine people, including five Italian climbers, officials said on Tuesday (Nov 4).

The deaths occurred in two separate accidents since Friday.

On Monday, an avalanche hit a group of 12 people at the base camp of 5,630m Yalung Ri peak, in central Nepal, near the border with China.

Seven people died in that disaster, including three Italians, two Nepalis, a German and a French climber, Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, from expedition organiser Dreamers Destination, told AFP.

Sherpa, whose company had arranged the expedition for some of the group, said he had “seen all the seven bodies”.

The rest of the group was rescued and airlifted to the capital Kathmandu on Tuesday morning, said senior police officer Gyan Kumar Mahato from Dolakha district.

Those rescued included two French climbers and two Nepalis.

In an earlier incident in western Nepal, two Italian climbers died while attempting to scale the 6,887m Panbari mountain.

The men had been out of contact since Friday. Italy’s foreign ministry named them on Tuesday as Alessandro Caputo and Stefano Farronato.

“Their deaths were confirmed this morning by local authorities,” the statement read. “The compatriots had been caught in heavy snowfall at Camp 1 (5,000m above sea level).”

Home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest, Nepal welcomes hundreds of climbers and trekkers every year.

Autumn season is the second most popular time for Himalayan expeditions, despite shorter, colder days, snowy terrain and a narrow summit window compared to the busy spring.

Last week, Cyclone Montha triggered heavy rain and snowfall across Nepal, leaving trekkers and tourists stranded on popular Himalayan trekking routes.

According to the Himalayan Database, an expedition archive, at least 1,093 people have died on peaks since 1950, with avalanches killing almost a third of them.