KATHMANDU, November 4 — At least nine climbers, including two Nepalese guides, have been killed in two separate avalanches in Nepal’s Himalayas, officials said on Tuesday.
Seven climbers were buried under snow near Mt. Yalung Ri (6,920m) in Gaurishanker Rural Municipality around 10 am on Monday while attempting to scale the peak, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Gyan Kumar Mahato.
The deceased included two Nepali citizens, two Italians identified as Paolo Cocco and Marco Di Marcello, a Canadian, a French and a German national. A joint rescue team has been mobilised to retrieve the bodies.
Five others, including three Nepalis and two French climbers, were injured and airlifted to Kathmandu hospitals. Four more climbers with minor injuries were also rescued from the site.
In a separate incident, two Italian climbers — Stefano Farronato and Alessandro Caputo — who had been missing after heavy snowfall since October 28, were found dead inside their tent at Camp I of Mt. Panbari (6,887m) in the Manaslu region. Their bodies were recovered on Tuesday from an altitude of 5,242 metres, police said.
Another Italian mountaineer, Velter Paralion, who had been stranded with them, was rescued on Sunday.
The Nepal Tourism Board issued a condolence message on the deaths, saying, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in the avalanche. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and friends of the victims.”
