Nepal: 3 Indians among 30 dead in Hudhud-triggered blizzard

At least 3 Indians were killed as the death toll in one of the worst snowstorms to hit Nepal’s Himalayan mountain range reached 30 on Thursday.

After the rescue work resumed, two more bodies of Indian trekkers were recovered from Narkhu village in Manang district. On Thursday, one Indian was found dead in the area.

The bodies of two Canadians and two Indians have been recovered from Manang district near Thorang Pas, said Gopal Babu Shrestha, Treasurer of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal.

The official confirmed that the death toll from the snowstorm has now reached to 30 as five more dead bodies were recovered from Mustang district. Till Thursday, a total of 21 dead bodies were recovered from these areas.

Meanwhile, 130 trekkers who were stranded for two days due to the heavy snowfall in the mountain region, have been successfully rescued from Tilicho area in Manang district, the officials said.

Four helicopters have been mobilised for carrying rescue operations with the assistance of Nepal Army and Nepal police officials as well as local trekking guides, Shrestha said.

The incident occurred on Thursday in ThorangPass area which lies between border of Manang and Mustang districts at an altitude of 5,416 metres. The sudden heavy snowfall in the area is attributed to Hudhud cyclone, that hit southern India recently. Heavy rainfalls accompanied by hailstorms lashed the central and western regions of Nepal for the past few days.

There were 4 to 5 metre snowfall in the area. “This was the worst incident in the mountain region of Nepal involving foreigners in the recent past,” said Shrestha.

Twenty-one people including nine Nepalese, three Polish, three Israelis and one Vietnamese were killed in Mustang district while nine people - six Canadians and three Indians – killed in Manang district so far.