Nepal find 34 more trekkers after storm
Nepalese teams have rescued 34 more trekkers and guides stranded in the Himalayas since a snowstorm struck five days ago but have also found 12 more bodies, officials say.
Rescuers using helicopters found the bodies buried in the highly popular Annapurna Circuit trekking route hit by the storm, with the total number of those confirmed or feared dead put at 40.
"Four helicopters were sent out today to the affected areas in Mustang, Manang and Dolpa. We have rescued 34 since morning," police official Pradeep Bhattarai said on Sunday.
They include 17 Nepalese, 10 Germans, five Swedes and two Australians.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday confirmed that "several" Australians had been rescued in the deadly snowstorm but there were no reports of casualties so far.
The Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal said rescuers pressed on with their search for bodies that they had seen from the air but had so far been unable to retrieve.
Three bodies were found early Sunday and another nine – all Nepalese support staff for trekkers – late in the day on different sections of the circuit, the association's Ramesh Dhamala said.
Searchers were taking advantage of good weather but efforts were being hampered by the fact that snow was turning to ice, making it difficult to free trapped bodies.
"We are scanning areas at higher altitude today, coordinating with local officials to identify areas where remaining trekkers might be found," said Dhamala.
Searches would resume on Monday to retrieve more bodies along with any more survivors, he said.
Nepal has pledged to set up a weather warning system after the snowstorm caught trekkers unaware as they heading to an exposed high mountain pass on the circuit.
Police have said 483 trekkers, guides and others have been rescued since operations started on Wednesday, including 292 foreigners.
The disaster follows Mount Everest's deadliest avalanche that killed 16 guides in April on the world's highest peak and forced an unprecedented shutdown of it.
Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au
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