Nepal avalanche: Over 200 people rescued, several feared trapped

Representational Image

Annapurna: Over 200 people were rescued on Saturday after an avalanche hit a section of the Annapurna circuit route in Nepal on January 17, informed the Nepal tourism ministry. A search and rescue team was deployed to find the trekkers who were trapped in the region due to the avalanche.

The Nepal police informed that among the trekkers most of them were citizens of South Korea and China. However, the total number of people missing is still not known. 

Army helicopters are also deployed in the area to get an aerial survey of the region. The rescue operation is being disrupted because of incessant rainfall in the region. Deputy Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar KC informed that a police team has already left for Deurali to carry out search and rescue operations.

The incident occurred at an altitude of around 3,230 metres close to the base camp for Annapurna, one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas, following heavy snowfall on January 17. Thousands of trekkers mostly from Asia visit the Annapurna region every year for getting the stunning views of the Himalayas.

In 2014 a similar incident took place in which about 40 people were killed due to snowstorm on the popular circuit in  Nepal.