Nepal blizzard survivors 'we got lucky'

The death toll from a devastating snowstorm in Nepal's Himalayas has climbed to 43, in the worst trekking disaster ever to hit the mountainous country.

Tuesday's storm, which triggered avalanches, struck at the height of the trekking season, catching hikers unaware on their way up to an exposed high mountain pass along the scenic Annapurna Circuit route.

A British man who survived the ordeal has described it as stumbling through "an abyss of nothing".

Paul Sherridan told the Telegraph the tragedy could have been avoided if local authorities had paid more attention to weather warnings and not allowed expeditions like his to go ahead.

"They [hikers] were herded up that mountain to their death," he told the BBC.

He said his team of hikers were encouraged to continue on despite the weather. "But as we moved forwards, conditions worsened and we became involved in blacked-out conditions where the ground became the same colour as the sky and it was difficult to see which way was up and which way was down.  

"As I descended this abyss of nothing, I realised that the people I was following didn't know where they were. It was at that point that I realised I had gone from a place of safety into an absolute position of fear and sheer terror."

Officials said today that 11 more bodies had been found, bringing to 43 the number of those known to have died - with fears that more bodies could be lying under heavy snowdrifts and ice.

"We have located the bodies of nine Nepalese people on the border between Dolpo and Mustang districts," said Keshav Pandey of the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN), an industry body organising search-and-rescue efforts.

"We have also recovered the bodies of two Japanese tourists at the Thorong La mountain pass."

At least 19 of the dead are tourists, from countries including Canada, Israel, Poland, Slovakia, India and Vietnam.

Four days after the blizzard hit, all surviving trekkers who were left stranded are now believed to be safe, officials said, with 385 people rescued after frantic calls for help.

"We have not received any further calls for rescue or for information about stranded people," said Binay Acharya of TAAN.

The focus has now shifted from rescue to the grim prospect of retrieving more bodies feared to be lying on the popular trekking route, which goes as high as 5,416 metres.

Nepalese army choppers circled the upper reaches of the popular trekking region to locate bodies on Saturday, while officials arranged to fly in a team of experts from Kathmandu to assist with the operation.

Eyewitnesses said many victims perished trying to descend the pass in freezing, whiteout conditions.

SWEPT AWAY

In the capital, Kathmandu, survivors recounted their brush with death during the blizzard.

Four Nepali guides were swept away by an avalanche, said Horst Ulrich, a 72-year-old German, who was on his fourth trip to Nepal with a group of friends.

"We were in a dangerous spot and shocked at the conditions we were seeing unfold in front of our eyes," he added. "We just got lucky."

Munchang Lama, 35, a guide for two Israeli women, found himself marooned while he was pitching a tent for them.

"Suddenly it started raining and I took shelter between two rocks," said Lama, who was rescued on Friday, suffering from frostbite and minor injuries.

"Next morning I was not able to walk because my leg was stuck in snow," he added. "I realised I would only be able to get out when the snow melted."

Lama said he was able to keep up his strength by munching on nuts, chocolates and a banana he found in the women's bags.

"This kept me alive for 48 hours," said Lama, adding that he did not know what became of his clients.

The government has admitted failing to issue any warning that the weather would take a sudden turn for the worse, and has promised to set up an early-warning system.

This week's incident was the second major mountain disaster in Nepal this year after an avalanche killed 16 guides on Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, in April.

The home ministry told officials in the five affected districts to trace missing people who could have taken shelter from the storm in hamlets, temples or other isolated spots.

At least 45 Nepali families have approached officials in the districts of Mustang, Manang and Dolpa for help tracking down their missing menfolk who worked as porters and guides.

"The problem is that any Nepali is free to start operating as a porter and they do not require a licence," said Keshav Pandey of Nepal's Trekking Agencies Association. "According to our estimate more than 85 Nepalis are still stuck."

Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains. Income from tourism, including permit fees from trekkers, who made up more than 12 percent of its 800,000 tourists in 2013, accounts for 4 percent of its economy.

- Reuters and AFP