Over 200 people rescued from Mount Everest and Annapurna in Nepal

Over 200 people have been rescued from Mount Everest and Annapurna a day after an avalanche swept through a popular trekking route in Nepal, international media quoted Nepal’s Tourism Departement. Seven people went missing after the incident took place in the Annapurna circuit trekking route on Friday.

Rescue Team Deployed

According to media reports, a search and rescue team had been deployed by the authorities on Saturday in the avalanche hit areas to find the missing trekkers. Two helicopters flew from Pokhara to the avalanche hit area. The authorities also conducted an aerial survey of Macchapuchre and Annapurna base camps to check their condition. 

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Dilip Gurung, the secretary of Chomrong Tourism Management Committee while talking to international media said, that both the base camps are intact. He added that they are continuing their search and rescue operation but haven’t got any clue about those missing. He further said that they are continuing their efforts to locate four missing Koreans and a Chinese who has gone missing since Friday morning after an avalanche hit Himku near the Annapurna Base camp. 

Read: South Koreans Among Seven Missing In Himalayan Avalanche

Read: 4 South Koreans, 3 Nepali Guides Missing In Nepal Avalanche

Those missing include One Chinese citizen, Two Nepali guides and Four Koreans. According to media reports, South Korea has dispatched an emergency response team of two government workers along with officials from an education body and a tourism agency to Kathmandu to assist in the search operations. The South Korean consul based in the Nepalese capital had already departed for the accident site to call for the continuation of the rescue operation.

Meanwhile, fresh snow has hampered the search operations. According to international media, Local police chief Dan Bahadur Karki said poor weather was hampering rescue efforts. "The team is on its way. We also have a helicopter on standby to take off if the weather improves," Karki further said. Annapurna is an avalanche-prone and technically difficult mountain and has a higher death rate than Everest, the world's highest peak.

(With inputs from agencies)