NEW DELHI, October 19 (RIA Novosti) - Over 400 people have been rescued in Nepal after a popular trekking route was hit by a major blizzard and avalanches earlier this week, the Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) said Sunday.
“A total of 407 [181 Nepalis and 226 foreigners] have been rescued so far,” TAAN said in a statement citing Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
The bodies of 15 Nepalis and 17 foreigners have been recovered and seven people are still unaccounted for, the trekking association said.
Nepal's worst mountain disaster occurred in the Mustang and Manang districts on Tuesday when the region was hit by an unseasonal snowstorm. Rescuers could only begin search efforts on Wednesday after the severe weather cleared.
Trekkers from all over the world travel to the Annapurna circuit of the Himalayas in October to hike the 150-mile route around the mountain which takes some three weeks to finish.
