KATHMANDU:- The death toll from an avalanche on Mount Yalung Ri in Dolakha’s Rolwaling region has reached seven, including five foreign and two Nepali climbers.
Six climbers who had gone missing have been rescued safely. Colonel Lok Sagar Katwal, commander of the Nepal Army’s Garuda Battalion, informed that six people — three foreigners and three Nepalis — were rescued and brought to Na village this morning.
The avalanche struck on Monday morning, leaving seven dead, four missing, and four injured.
Although a helicopter reached Na village on Monday afternoon to carry out search and rescue operations, bad weather delayed immediate efforts. Later, several Sherpa guides were airlifted to the Yalung Ri region to assist in the rescue.
According to Colonel Katwal, a joint rescue team of 35 Nepal Army personnel, 10 Armed Police Force members, and five Nepal Police officers was deployed from Lamabagar on Monday afternoon for search and rescue operations.
On 28 October, a total of 15 climbers, both Nepali and foreign, had set out in different groups to climb the 5,630-meter-high Yalung Ri mountain located in Gaurishankar Rural Municipality–9 of Dolakha.
The climbers had left the base camp at 4 a.m. on Monday and were struck by the avalanche around 8 a.m. while attempting to reach the summit.