Nepal Govt Resumes Search Operation for 4 Trekkers, 3 Guides
In a bid to save the missing trekkers, Nepal government resumed the rescue operation which was halted due to snow.
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The Nepal government on Monday resumed the search operation for four South Korean trekkers and their three guides who went missing since an avalanche swept a popular trekking route in the mountains.
The operation to rescue the seven people missing has become difficult due to heavy snowfall in the area. On Sunday, a rescue team had to abort their operation due to adverse weather.
The trekkers were en route a Himalayan mountain near a base camp in the Annapurna region when the avalanche struck after heavy snowfall on Friday last.
The avalanche happened at an altitude of 3,230 m (10,600ft) about 150 km (93 miles) north-west of Kathmandu.
Two Rescued, Rest Still Missing
The rescue team comprises members from the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) and the Nepal Army, it said.
The missing trekkers include two women, Kim Sookja and Choi Hyowon. The two other South Korean nationals were identified as Lee Min Su and Jeong Pil Bong. The missing guides were identified as Sarj Pariyar, Chhiring Bhote and Min Bahadur Lama.
Meanwhile, the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) in a statement said a Chinese tourist and her Nepali tourist guide have been rescued to safety. They are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Pokhara.
"The avalanche had swept away rocks and getting through them was almost impossible at that moment," the statement said.
The area where the incident took place is reportedly covered in more than 10 feet of snow.
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